MATTHEW Kelly and actor David Yelland will be appearing together in the first ever revival of Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art, coming to the Palace Theatre in November.

Kelly will start as Fitz (W.H. Auden) and Yelland as Henry (Benjamin Britten), in this production presented by The Original Theatre Company, York Theatre Royal and Ghost Light Productions.

The Habit of Art explores friendship, rivalry and heartache and the joy, pain and emotional cost of creativity.

It is centred on a fictional meeting between poet W. H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten.

Bennett wrote it as a play-within-a-play where actors Fitz, Henry, Tim and Donald are rehearsing a play called Caliban's Day under the direction of stage manager, Kay, and in the presence of the playwright, Neil.

In Caliban's Day, a fictitious meeting occurs in 1973 in Auden's (Fitz) rooms at Oxford not long before he dies.

Britten (Henry) has been auditioning boys nearby for his opera Death in Venice, and arrives unexpectedly - their first meeting in 25 years after falling out over the failure of their opera Paul Bunyan.

Veronica Roberts will be joining the cast in the role of Kay, the Stage Manager.

She is perhaps best known for playing Dorothy Bennett in the BBC drama Tenko and Laura Elliot in ITV’s Peak Practice.

Robert Mountford plays the Author, Neil, whose one man show,Vagabonds – My Phil Lynott Odyssey, has recently played in Edinburgh, London and Dublin; John Wark will play Donald (Humphrey Carpenter) and Alexandra Guelff, who has appeared on TV hit shows such as Eastenders, Law and Order and Call the Midwife plays the role of George, the Assistant Stage Manager.

Benjamin Chandler has been cast as Tim (Stuart). His previous credits include The Passing Of The Third Floor Back (Finborough Theatre) and Three Sisters (The Union Theatre).

Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art premiered at the National Theatre in November 2009, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Richard Griffiths, Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour.

The National then toured the production in Autumn 2010 with a new cast led by Desmond Barrit, Malcolm Sinclair and Selina Cadell.

The 2018 tour of begins on 30 August 2018 at York Theatre Royal, and will be directed by Philip Franks, designed by Adrian Linford, with lighting by Johanna Town, and sound design by Max Pappenheim.

It comes to the Palace Theatre in London Road, Westcliff, on November 19 - 24.

Visit southendtheatres.org.uk for booking information and prices.