A conversation with playwright Alan Bennett

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Over the past half-century, Bennett has produced a slew of pieces for stage, screen and printed page that provide telling portraits -- thoughtful, funny, poignant and bawdy -- of the English and English life.

His mega-hit ‘The History Boys’ opened to raves at the National Theatre in London in 2004, won six Tonys on Broadway and was made into a movie.

His newest work, ‘The Habit of Art,’ opened at the National last fall and this month was filmed live for broadcast to theaters around the world. It will be shown at the Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In ‘The Habit of Art,’ Bennett imagines a meeting between two aging artists, poet W.H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten -- what may seem like an erudite tale, but one told with humor, poignancy and wit.

‘I’m in the Noel Coward school,’ says Bennett. ‘I never want to bore. I hope [people] have a good time and learn something in the process.’

For more of my conversation with Alan Bennett, click here.

--Karen Wada

Photo: Alan Bennett. Credit: Johan Persson