Lady In The Van Trailer – Bisexual writer Alan Bennett gets an unexpected driveway guest (in the form of Maggie Smith)

Alan Bennett has had huge success as a writer on projects as diverse as History Boys and The Madness Of King George. The soft-spoken Yorkshireman has become a beloved figure, but Lady In The Van takes a look at a lesser known chapter in his life.

However it’s one that seems fitting for Bennett, quietly eccentric, oddly British and rather sweet.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Lady in the Van tells the true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years.’

Maggie Smith is the lady, with Alex Jennings as Bennett. Alan himself wrote the script, and the movie features many of those who’ve worked with him before, including History Boys James Corden and Dominic Cooper and Madness Of King George director Nicholas Hytner.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the script addresses Bennett’s sexuality, as for most of his life he’s been pretty quiet about it, although it’s known he’s had relationships with both men and women, and is currently in a civil partnership with a man.