Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. He was born in Leeds and attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with the Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research medieval history at the university for several years. His collaboration as writer and performer with Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe at the 1960 Edinburgh Festival brought him instant fame. He gave up academia, and turned to writing full-time, his first stage play Forty Years On being produced in 1968.
His work includes The Madness of George III and its film adaptation, the series of monologues Talking Heads, the play and subsequent film The History Boys, and popular audio books, including his readings of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Winnie-the-Pooh.
Early life
Bennett was born in Armley in Leeds. The son of a co-op butcher, Walter, and his wife Lilian Mary (née Peel), Bennett attended Christ Church, Upper Armley, Church of England School (in the same class as Barbara Taylor Bradford), and then Leeds Modern School (now Lawnswood School).
Alan Bennett (born 1962) is an American lyric tenor known mostly for his performances in concert and oratorio work. He is particularly admired for his interpretations of the works of Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Mozart.
Career
Bennett attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he studied vocal performance. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1984 and a master's degree in 1987. He studied voice with Charles Lynam, Paul Elliott, and the late Norman Farrow.
He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and South America, singing at many prominent festivals and with many of the world's leading orchestras. He has sung with the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Handel and Haydn Society, Tafelmusik, and Les Violons du Roy among many others.
Alan Alex Symington Bennett (born 29 September 1949) was a Scottish footballer who played for Crystal Palace, Morton, Hamilton, Dumbarton and East Stirling.