John Wark News

Original Theatre, the multi-award-winning live and digital theatre company, has revamped the way in which it presents online theatre with the launch of its new digital membership scheme. Replacing the previous pay-per-production system, it will be available on a monthly or annual subscription basis.

Original Theatre, the multi-award-winning live and digital theatre company, has revamped the way in which it presents online theatre with the launch of its new digital membership scheme.

Insightful, comical, and wonderfully presented, The Habit of Art by Original Theater is now being performed at 59E59 Theaters.

Original Theatre, the multi award-winning London and Suffolk based theatre company, will return to Brits Off Broadway, 59E59 Theaters' annual celebration of UK theatre, for its 2023 Season, presenting the critically acclaimed productions The Habit of Art from 29 April – 28 May and Being Mr Wickham from 25 May – 11 June. 

59E59 Theaters has announced productions for the Brits Off Broadway 2023 Season, their annual celebration of U.K. theatre.

Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art is now streaming online via BookMyShow!

In light of the closure of theatres across the UK due to COVID-19, the Original Theatre Company's productions of Alan Bennett's THE HABIT OF ART and Ali Milles's THE CROFT, both of which were touring the UK, will now each have an online launch performance.

In light of the most recent government advice due to COVID-19, The Original Theatre Company's production of Alan Bennett's THE HABIT OF ART, which was due to open at Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne on Wednesday 18 March 2020, will now perform a closed filmed performance on Wednesday 18 March 2020 at 2pm.

Following a highly acclaimed tour in 2018, The Original Theatre Company and The Anthology Group in association with Peter Stickney and York Theatre Royal's production of Alan Bennett's THE HABIT OF ART will return and tour the UK in 2020. Directed by Philip Franks and starring Matthew Kelly as Fitz (W. H. Auden) and David Yelland as Henry (Benjamin Britten). The tour begins on 18 March 2020 at Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne.

The Habit of Art is a wonderfully funny and deeply moving revival of Alan Bennett's fantastic 2009 follow up to The History Boys. The play focuses on a fictional meeting between WH Auden and Benjamin Britten in 1972, when Britten seeks out his old friend to combat his loneliness and ask advice about his new composition of Death in Venice. This meeting is framed as a play within a play where rehearsals are taking place; aged thesps Fitz and Henry play Auden and Britten respectively, musing on life, ageing, sex and art.

Following a slew of four and five star reviews for performances in York, Brighton, Salisbury and Oxford, Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art comes to the Belgrade Theatre this November in a new production from Original Theatre Company.

After opening to critical acclaim in 2009, the Original Theatre Company in collaboration with York Theatre Royal are bringing back Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art in its first revival since the original sell-out run. Centred around a fictional meeting between two of the 20th century's most influential gay artists, poet WH Auden and composer Benjamin Britten, the production boasts a stellar ensemble cast including Matthew Kelly and David Yelland.

Get a first look at rehearsal images from the first revival of Alan Bennett's THE HABIT OF ART, which opens at York Theatre Royal on 30 August 2018. The National Tour will then continue through to 1 December 2018.

The Original Theatre Company, York Theatre Royal, and Ghost Light Productions are delighted to announce the full cast for the first ever revival of Alan Bennett's THE HABIT OF ART directed by Philip Franks and starring Matthew Kelly as Fitz (W. H. Auden) and David Yelland as Henry (Benjamin Britten). 

After a record-breaking run at Park Theatre, and huge critical and public acclaim, Jonathan Maitland's debut play, DEAD SHEEP, directed by Ian Talbot OBE, is touring the UK until 28 November 2016. Steve Nallon has returned to the production to star as 'Margaret Thatcher', having portrayed her for many years on the political puppetry satire Spitting Image. Paul Bradley, best known for playing 'Professor Elliot Hope' in Holby City, will play 'Geoffrey Howe', Carol Royle will play 'Elspeth Howe', Graham Seedwill play 'Ian Gow / Nigel Lawson', Tony Bell will play 'Bernard Ingham / Alan Clark / Dennis Thatcher' and John Wark will play 'Stephen Wall / Brian Walden'.

Jonathan Maitland's debut play, DEAD SHEEP, directed by Ian Talbot OBE, will tour the UK from 6 September - 28 November 2016. Steve Nallon will return to the production to star as 'Margaret Thatcher', having portrayed her for many years on the political puppetry satire Spitting Image. Paul Bradley, best known for playing 'Professor Elliot Hope' in Holby City, will play 'Geoffrey Howe', Carol Royle will play 'Elspeth Howe', Graham Seed will play 'Ian Gow / Nigel Lawson', Tony Bell will play 'Bernard Ingham / Alan Clark / Dennis Thatcher' and John Wark will play 'Stephen Wall / Brian Walden'.

'TOAST' is making its US Premiere at 59E59 Theaters through May 22nd as part of the Brits Off-Broadway festival. Written by Richard Bean and directed by Eleanor Rhode, the play features a cast with some of Britain's most celebrated actors in a realistic, humorous depiction of factory life.

59E59 Theaters will host the US premiere of TOAST, written by Richard Bean and directed by Eleanor Rhode. Produced by Snapdragon Productions, in association with Jagged Fence Theatre for the 2016 Brits Off Broadway festival, TOAST begins performances today, April 20 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 22.  Press opening is Today, April 27 at 7 PM. 

Producer and director Gregory Mosher will moderate a conversation between playwright Richard Bean and the cast of TOAST immediately following the Thursday, April 28 performance.