BOLTON'S biggest theatre is preparing to close its season showcasing a selection of "masterpieces of drama" by an iconic playwright.

Celebrating the talent of Alan Bennett, the Octagon Theatre will be producing three of the original Talking Heads monologues nearly 30 years after thy were first aired on television.

From June 8, audiences will be able to see the plays A Chip in the Sugar, Lady of Letters, and A Cream Cracker under the Settee.

Showcasing the bittersweet tales of seemingly ordinary and uneventful lives, the observant monologues explore the sublime in everyday circumstances.

Associate director at the Octagon and director of Talking Heads, Ben Occhipinti said: "Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads are incredibly iconic, and rightly so.

"They are true masterpieces of drama that have the power to evoke laughter, empathy, frustration, and tears. They make the ordinary extraordinary, and will be shared with our audiences by three phenomenal actors.

"It is fantastic to be able to produce these monologues right here in the heart of Bolton and we can’t wait to invite our audiences in to see them."

Taking the lead are a cast of three establish actors who are both well-known and new to Octagon audiences.

Returning to the Octagon Theatre after his triumphant role in Educating Rita, David Birrell takes on the role of Graham, a middle-aged man who lives with his ‘mam’. A Chip in the Sugar charts what happens when his mother reunites with an old flame and things get a little more complicated.

Star of the world premiere of Winter Hill at the Octagon, Cathy Tyson returns to play the role of Irene in a A Lady of Letters.

A one-woman Neighbourhood Watch scheme, her habit of writing letters eventually gets ridiculously out of hand and results in extraordinary consequences.

A Cream Cracker under the Settee will welcome Sue Wallace, who has performed in the likes of the National Theatre and ITV soap Coronation Street, for her debut at the Octagon as 75-year old widow Doris.

Obsessive about tidiness and maintaining her independence, Doris has a fall that decides her future.

Running alongside Talking Heads are the Octagon’s first winning scripts of the National Octagon Prize.

Taking place in the Octagon Studio and directed by artistic director Elizabeth Newman and associate director Ben Occhipinti, three and new monologues will be performed from June 21 to July 8.

Blue by Charlotte Josephine, Being Amazing by Ian Townsend, and Nobody Can Never Get Us Back by Shauna Mackay were selected from hundreds of submissions from across the globe for the inaugural prize. Ticket prices are from £11 to £27.50