The Habit of Art

The Habit of Art is currently streaming online at The Original Theatre Company.

The Habit of Art centres on Fitz (Matthew Kelly), Henry (David Yelland), Tim (Benjamin Chandler) and Donald (John Wark), who are actors rehearsing a play called Caliban's Day. 

The director has been called away, so they have a run-through/workshop directed by the stage manager, Kay (Veronica Roberts), in the presence of the playwright, Neil (Robert Mountford).

This is all a bit meta, having a play within a play like this.

Caliban's Day is about a fictitious meeting in 1972 in W. H. Auden's rooms at Oxford, between Auden (Fitz) in his latter years and Benjamin Britten (Henry). 

Auden has hired a rent boy, Stuart (Tim) and when Humphrey Carpenter (Donald) - who will write biographies of both Auden and Britten after their deaths - arrives to interview him, Auden mistakes him for Stuart. 

I did not see the original performance of this work from 2009, so I have nothing to compare it with, coming to it fresh it is very enjoyable though not laugh out loud funny.

It has the focus on dialogue that Alan Bennett is so famous for, though there is some visual humour.

Yelland and Kelly capture the spirit of Britten and Auden beautifully and tackle some tough subjects.

Chandler is really funny as Tim.

The play is a great ensemble performance, every actor brings something to the stage, so it seems fair to mention the accent range of George (Jessica Dennis) and the neurotic turns of Neil make this play complete.

This play is an absolute steal, as it and The Croft are just £5 though you would rightly think to contribute more for such a great performance.