National Theatre Live: The Habit of Art

2010 2h 25m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 1

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

National Theatre Live’s 2010 broadcast of Alan Bennett’s acclaimed play The Habit of Art, with Richard Griffiths, Alex Jennings, and Frances de la Tour, returns to cinemas as part of the National Theatre's 50th anniversary celebrations. Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera, Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W H Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first for 25 years, they are observed and interrupted by, amongst others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station. Alan Bennett’s play is as much about the theatre as it is about poetry or music. It looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, and at the ethics of biography. It reflects on growing old, on creativity and inspiration, and on persisting when all passion’s spent: ultimately, on the habit of art. One of the first five episodes also released on terrestrial TV on a 2009 BBC TV series titled "National Theatre Live".

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Richard Griffiths
Fitz / W. H. Auden
Alex Jennings
Henry / Benjamin Britten
Frances de la Tour
Kay
Stephen Wight
Tim / Stuart
Philip Childs
Brian
Elliot Levey
Neil
John Heffernan
George
Barbara Kirby
Joan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nicholas Hytner
Writers: Alan Bennett
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

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Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 5

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 5

CAST

Did you know

Richard Griffiths and Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 5

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1641833 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 5

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nicholas Hytner directs. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 16 years ago.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Richard Griffiths and Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour carry the top of the cast.
4IMDB entry: tt1641833 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
5Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.