Alan Bennett began his career teaching medieval history at Oxford University before he found instant fame with the satirical revue, Beyond the Fringe (1960), which he wrote and performed in with Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, and Jonathan Miller. His first stage play, Forty Years On, was produced in 1968, and he has since written many stage, television, and radio plays. However, Bennett never writes on commission, claiming that if people don't want his work then tough luck.
Several of Alan Bennett's plays have been adapted for film, including The History Boys, The Lady in the Van, and The Madness of King George. Bennett has twice won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, most recently for The History Boys (2005), which also went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play in 2006.
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