Tag Archives: Philip Franks

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: Abbie Rippon ‘Why must a play be such a performance?’ argues Neil, the writer of Caliban’s Day. The cast are rehearsing for an upcoming production which explores the life of WH Auden and his collaborations with Benjamin Britten, and The Habit of Art is the play within which this play falls. Confused yet? Don’t be. ...

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Neil has meticulously researched his latest play, Caliban’s Day, in which he imagines a meeting between poet W. H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten in 1973, shortly before the death of each and at the time Britten was writing Death in Venice. Today, the director can’t make it so the rehearsal ...

Writer: Alan Bennet Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: James Eves To be able to tell a captivating story for the theatre is one thing, it requires a lot of character, skill and time. Therefore, to be able to create two stories for the same play that run alongside one another at the same time, deserves twice the admiration. To put it ...

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: Alice Fowler Which is more powerful, music or words? The poet W.H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten debate this point in Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art and, unsurprisingly, agree to differ. Bennett stages an imagined meeting between the two great men in 1972, rekindling an old friendship at a point when both ...

Writer: Alan Bennett Director: Philip Franks Reviewer: Michael Hootman The Habit of Art sees Alan Bennett stake his claim to the same theatrical territory inhabited by Tom Stoppard. Habit is very much a play of ideas. Or, to put it more bluntly, a play of too many ideas. It’s a play-within-a-play which examines the very idea of theatrical devices whilst ...

Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, a play within a play based on a fictional meeting between poet W.H Auden and composer Benjamin Britten, premiered at the National Theatre back in November 2009 with the production going on to tour in the Autumn of 2010. This year, the Original Theatre Company and York Theatre Royal will present the first ever ...

Those blessed with a long memory will remember actor Graham Seed from his short stint as upper-class buffoon Charlie Mycroft in Crossroads in the late 80s but he will be best remembered as series regular Nigel Pargetter in The Archers. However, a veteran also of the stage, Seed is now touring in Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path.Glen Pearce spoke to him ...

Ambassador Theatre Group(ATG) has announced that Royal &Derngate, Northampton’s major new production of King Lear, will embark on a UK tour to nine regional venues from April to July. After running at Royal &Derngate Northampton from1 – 23 April, the show will then tour to venues includingOxford Playhouse, Theatre Royal BrightonRichmond Theatre, Grand Opera HouseYork,Manchester Opera House, Theatre Royal Bath, ...