Scan barcode
A review by callum_mclaughlin
The Shielding of Mrs Forbes by Alan Bennett
3.0
I really like the central idea being explored in this short from the Faber Stories range. Wishing to protect his seemingly naïve and prim mother from scandal, Graham marries a woman to keep his sexuality a secret. But when his lover starts blackmailing him, it becomes clear that no one is quite as oblivious – or as innocent – as they’re leading others to believe.
The tone is largely humorous and cutting, with none of the characters being particularly likeable. With everyone tangled up in different aspects of the same lie, it’s clear that Bennett is commenting on the folly of keeping up appearances. Still, a few too many twists towards the end tipped things into the realms of farce for me, making the narrative itself feel too contrived to be believable.
In the age-old debate of concept versus execution, I definitely preferred the former here.
The tone is largely humorous and cutting, with none of the characters being particularly likeable. With everyone tangled up in different aspects of the same lie, it’s clear that Bennett is commenting on the folly of keeping up appearances. Still, a few too many twists towards the end tipped things into the realms of farce for me, making the narrative itself feel too contrived to be believable.
In the age-old debate of concept versus execution, I definitely preferred the former here.