The Lowry, Manchester – until Saturday 17th November 2018
Reviewed by Julie Noller
4****
Dame Judi Dench recently described the state of being a national treasure as ‘awful, like being stuck behind glass in a dusty old cupboard with Alan Bennett’. A great visualisation for those of a younger generation, who have or perhaps have not grown up knowing the names and the works but never really knowing the personas or naughtiness of individuals who often flouted societies rules; never wanting that easy ride in life. That may be true for Bennett but is also true for WH Auden and Benjamin Britten our subject matter if only through the eyes of our writer documenting a fictitious meeting. The Habit of Art highlights everything we may just perceive to know but really it’s just a gossip-fest that points a tongue in cheek poke at all those wannabes out there writing about the life and times of any famous individual.
Wyston Hugh Auden may have died the year before I was born, but I know his work as a poet, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1947 for The Age of Anxiety and more recently famed for the use of Funeral Blues in the 1994 film of the year Four Weddings and a Funeral. Benjamin Britten often hailed as England’s greatest composer of a modern era, The Habit Of Art, is set during his own writing of his last work, the opera Death in Venice.
Sometimes the set up on stage can be confusing with art imitating life and life imitating art. You need your mind to work with that of Alan Bennett, enjoy the journey and sometimes cheeky wit, where else would you find Auden’s face compared to that of a scrotum? This is a play written in 2009, a whole thirty seven years after the year in which it is set 1972, only one year before Auden’s death and four before that of Britten, two old men used to hiding away but flouting their sexuality. The play isn’t about Auden or Britten but revolves around the rehearsal of the play. The stage set is brilliant in it’s details, from gym flooring to props arriving in carrier bags. Each performer on stage is an actor learning the lines, where do you differentiate between character and actor? Is it true that you are drawn to a part by it’s complexities or that it somehow mirrors your own life? Matthew Kelly (yes I resisted the voice that uttered tonight Matthew I’m going to be) is superb as Fitz a true luvvie of stage, struggling to remember his lines and needing many prompts. He has never had to supply cakes in any production; hinting at his own self importance. Working to a strict time deadline for he has a car arriving at six o’clock sharp to take him to his Tesco voice-over recording, this mirrors his role as W H Auden a man living his life in blatant disregard to public decency. Looking back you almost pity this man in front of us, dependency on alcohol and somehow forgetting conversations, you are left wondering if some sort of dementia has set in. Especially during Britten’s visit to him, played to perfection as a very upright and sharp but worried gentleman by David Yelland. It’s very apparent Bennett was suggesting his liking of young boys. His concerns around Death in Venice is the age of the young boy. Auden somehow stuck in a bygone era with his need to shock, demands Britten stick at it; more of Bennett’s wit as he suggests soon the young boy will be queuing for his pension.
John Walk confused the man sat next to me who asked his wife why he had a Scottish accent? This is again because he is playing Donald, somewhat unloved by fellow cast members, seeking where is his inspiration, difficult to work with because sometimes you just feel the part. Donald needs direction at every level, seeking his own self importance. Hilariously coming on stage in drag; a badly fitting dress and wig whilst playing a tuba, simply because you have to try this things. He is also Humphrey Carpenter mistaken by Auden as a rent boy but actually just working for the BBC, the man who would interview both Auden and Britten and later write their autobiographies. You get a sense of how fantastic Bennett’s writing is to tie all these parts together with such classic sarcasm thrown into the mix, you will be scratching your head at the perplexities. There’s serious writer Neil (Robert Mountford) author of Caliban’s Day (our fictitious play within a play) who doesn’t understand the frailties of actors or their need to have the bigger more memorable part. He just wants his work to remain intact for he is a genius of the written word. Young Tim playing rent boy Stuart (Benjamin Chandler) living his life and fun loving. Alexandra Gruelff as George assistant stage manager, trying to get things right but being young accidentally upsets the old hands. Her singing as she stands in for the young choir boys should be applauded. Keeping it all together in the absence of Director Stephen is Kay (Veronica Roberts) as company stage manager, she finds herself attempting to keep the peace as actors squabble with writer and each other; as well as keep the play moving. She is a true mother hen often there to wipe furrowed brows and egos.
The Habit of Art is thoroughly enjoyable with plenty to entertain those seeking a more intelligent play, aided by large amounts wit and humour. Not forgetting those still often taboo subjects of sexual activities and I lost track (I didn’t have enough fingers or toes) at the number of times the word dick was used.