that of the playwright and his long—term collaborator, the director nicholas hytner.never had rows. i mean, i can only remember about two disagreements. if you believe that art comes out of conflict, it doesn't work in that way, no. but it does come out of compromise. what would you say, of all those plays that you two have made together — some of which have become films — is the high point? well, the thing we enjoyed absolutely every minute of it was obviously the history boys. so i'll thank you! if no—one! mentions oxford! 0r cambridge! in my! lessons! as the director of the national theatre, what is it about alan bennett plays that seem to make them absolutely bullet—proof when it comes to success? don't say that! well, the way alan talks through his characters is the way large audiences wanted to be talked to. they trusted what he had to say, they trusted the way he said it. there's a kind of bond that alan creates in the way he writes, which i can always depend upon. put the van in your drive? that never occurred to me. such as the lady in the van, a play — which

sir nicholas hytner is one of our most successful theatre directors.creating huge hits like the history boys and the lady in the van. 0ur arts editor, will gompertz, has been talking to them about their collaboration which has lasted more than a quarter of a century. they treat me like an oracle. and that's what oracles do, they repeat themselves. laughter here is a scene from alan bennett's play the habit of art which, on the face of it, imagines a meeting between a poet, wh auden, and composer, benjamin britten. but there are also plenty ofjokes that allude to another meeting of creative minds. do you always mean what you write? that of the playwright and his long—term collaborator, the director nicholas hytner. we never had rows. i mean, i can only remember about two disagreements. if you believe that art comes out of conflict, it doesn't work in that way, no. but it does come out of compromise. what would you say, of all those plays that you two have made together — some of which have become films — is the high point? well, the thing we enjoyed abs