North West Theatre

The Habit of Art

Alan Bennett
National Theatre
05 Oct 10 to 09 Oct 10
The Lowry

The Habit of Art looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, in an imagined meeting between W H Auden and Benjamin Britten. It reflects on growing old, creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion’s spent; ultimately on the habit of art.

Interview: Alan Bennett

Bennett’s brilliant The Habit Of Art, in which WH Auden, Benjamin Britten and Humphrey Carpenter speculatively meet in Auden’s Oxford college study, could (at something of a stretch!) be said to have been partly inspired by The History Boys.
City Life

...leaves you feeling proud to be British... a flawless script, wonderful set, and an exceptional cast... raunchy, sad, hilarious and, in some respect, controversial... Malcolm Sinclair’s (Britten) scenes with Desmond Barrit (Auden) must be applauded...
What's On Stage (Rating: 4/5)
Alan Bennett’s deeply thoughtful play poses more questions than it answers... some one liners that glow with brilliance... There were times I felt I was overdosing on ideas and I thought the play paid a little bit too much attention to the sexual leanings of the two men... Desmond Barrit as Fitz/Auden and Malcolm Sinclair (Henry/Britten) seize the chance to shine.
Sale and Altrincham Messenger (Rating: 3/5)
...a delightfully multi layered and complex piece... it is this format that makes the play so refreshing and enjoyable to watch. The cast all give remarkable performances... Desmond Barrit is particularly strong... Nicholas Hytner’s slick direction... [Malcolm] Sinclair’s portrayal of Britten’s anxiety that ‘Death in Venice’ may be construed as an act of self revelation is particularly effective... an extremely fulfilling evening of funny and thought-provoking theatre.
The Public Reviews (Rating: 4/5)
...some great moments of theatrical observation... some thoughtful, tender and emotional moments and some ideas to stimulate thought and discussion... Nick Hytner's production is pretty near perfect... great acting performances all round, but it is noticeable that the older actors seem more natural than the younger ones... a towering performance from Desmond Barritt... [Malcolm] Sinclair's wonderful performance turns [Britten] human and brings out real emotion and perhaps regret... a really great production of an intriguing and very funny play with some extremely impressive performances...
British Theatre Guide