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Sordid tale told with good humour
Meeting of minds: Malcolm Sinclair as Benjamin Britten and Desmond Barrit as W.H. Auden. Picture: Catherin Ashmore The Habit of Art Birmingham Rep ***** BENJAMIN Britten's last opera, Death in
Venice, first performed in 1973, was based on Thomas Mann's novella of
the same name. The subject though troubled Britten. It is about a
famous author who becomes enchanted to the point of obsession by an
adolescent boy. A subject a little too close to home for the homosexual
Britten who had his own penchant for young boys. Auditioning young boys for the role of of Tadzio, the
boy in the book, in Oxford, Britten decides to visit an old friend he
has not seen for 25 years, the poet Wystan Hugh Auden, who has
rooms in Oxford. It is not a reunion, building bridges or a renewal of
friendship. Britten is merely looking for reassurance, The pair had fallen out after the failure of their
opera Paul Bunyan. Auden, who was brought up in Birmingham,
believes Britten wants him to write the libretto and suddenly finds
purpose to his rambling, shambolic life. He is after all the son in law
of Mann. He had married the German writer's daughter Erika in
1935 in what was a marriage of convenience for her to obtain British
citizenship. The pair never lived together but remained friends and
married until her death in 1969. But Auden's family connection is for naught. Myfanwy
Piper, wife of the artist John Piper had already done the job. Britten
did not want words or collaboration, he just wanted support, assurance,
confirmation. The imaginary meeting is the crux of Alan Bennett's
new play which is on tour after a successful run at the National.
Bennett uses the device of a play within a play with actors playing the
parts of actors playing the parts and even throws in the author, Simon
Bubb as the intense Neil, to question the interpretation. The result can at times be confusing. There are two
long scenes when the excellent Desmond Barrit who plays Fitz the
actor playing Auden, and the equally impressive Malcolm Sinclair who
plays Henry the actor playing Britten verbally spar. Britten attempts to claim that the distinguished
writer is the victim in Death in Venice denying Auden's claim that he
preys on little boys.
Are we watching two actors playing actors playing the
famous pair or the famous pair themselves? Have we left the imaginary
play within the play Caliban's Day behind and moved on to how
Bennett imagined such a meeting would go?
Commentating on the whole thing is Matthew Cottle with
a fine performance as Donald who is in turn playing Humphrey Carpenter,
the man form the BBC sent to interview Auden and the man who will write
biographies of both men sometime in the future. On his arrival at Auden's dingy rooms he is mistaken
for a rent boy Auden has ordered much in the same way the rest of us
order a pizza or a balti-takeaway. Sex is that casual as indeed is the
dial a nice boy Stuart played by Tim who is in turn played by Luke
Norris. The first half sets the scene for those who don't know
about Auden and Britten's homosexuality and also Auden's attitude to
personal hygiene and his view that peeing in the kitchen sink was not
only acceptable but normal. There is also much reference to the male
dangly bits. All a little on the sordid side, sordid with a smile maybe,
but sordid none the less so perhaps it is not one for maiden aunts. That being said there are some very funny lines and
sharp observations and Barrit and Sinclair milk every one of them with
interest while Selina Cadell as Kay the stage manager in charge of the
run through and workshop keeps feet and actor egos on the ground. A mention to for Ben Woodford, a Bishop Vesey's pupil
from Sutton Coldfield, who plays the boy being auditioned by Britten. It will not be everyone's cup of tea. The intellectual discussions between Auden and Britten, for example, need some following but the acting and direction by Nicholas Hytner are first class while the writing, as always by Alan Bennett, is polished and to the point. Theatre to enjoy that also keeps the grey cells working. To 02-10-10 Roger Clarke
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