The Habit Of Art Tickets - Lyttleton

The Habit Of Art

Alan Bennett has delivered many unbeatable masterpieces to the National Theatre, making any of his upcoming productions highly anticipated when they roll into view. His current show once fell into this category before it opened in November and highlights the relationship between the creative process and the onset of age. It takes the form of “The Habit of Art” , which appears on the Lyttelton stage until April 2010.

Bennett is one of the best known British playwrights still operating today and for the National Theatre has written celebrated productions such as “The History Boys” and “The Madness of George III”, with other shows appearing on various stages. He penned “Habeus Corpus” for the Lyric Theatre in 1973 and “Kafka’s Dick” for the Royal Court Theatre in 1986.

But he has also contributed to film, television and radio, with screen credits that include the adaptation of his plays for the movies “The Madness of King George” and “The History Boys” as well as “Little Dorit” and “A Private Function”.

With “The Habit of Art”, Alan Bennett presents a show in which two mirroring plots stand side by side as a group of actors struggle with their rehearsal in one and the characters within their play-  two artists - struggle with a meeting of their own with constant interruptions.

The play concerns a meeting between W H Auden and Benjamin Britten as the latter calls upon his trusted friend to help him through his latest opera “Death in Venice”, whilst biographers and a stranger from the local bus station are constantly interrupting them.

The artistic process is mirrored by the actors as the role of Auden is played by Fritz (Richard Griffiths) and the whole group battle their way through the script.

Richard Griffiths OBE is a well known actor who has replaced the earlier-announced Michael Gambon in the production.  He previously appeared in Bennett’s “The History Boys” in 2004 (winning a Laurence Olivier Award), as well as “Equus” at the Gielgud Theatre in 2007 and “Pie in the Sky” for television.  He has also appeared in movies like “Withnail and I”, “Ghandi”, “Guarding Tess” and “Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear”.

“The Habit of Art” has been running on the Lyttelton stage of the National Theatre since November 2009 and is set to continue  at the venue until Tuesday 6th April 2010, with further dates expected.