Bennett play to beam live

ALAN Bennett's latest play is to be beamed live from the National Theatre in London to cinemas across the UK later this month.

The hit production of The Habit Of Art, the tale of an imaginary meeting between poet WH Auden and composer Benjamin Britten, will also be broadcast by satellite around the world. The 22 April performance will be screened at venues in Britain and Europe, and shown as soon as possible afterwards in other countries, including Australia, the US and Canada.

The play, Bennett's first since The History Boys in 2004, opened on 5 November at the National.