By: Suzanne Cleave, TRP Reviewer
The History Boys, Alan Bennett’s well-known play, follows a group of eight boys studying at a grammar school in Sheffield in the 1980s, all eager to secure a place at Oxford or Cambridge University
Having obtained the school’s highest A Level results ever, they must prepare for entrance exams for Oxbridge under the direction and guidance of their three teachers – Hector, Irwin and Mrs Lintott – each with very different ideas of education and life.
It was in 2004 that The History Boys premiered at the National Theatre, where it won three Olivier Awards before transferring to Broadway. This 20th anniversary production, directed by Sean Linnen, is bringing the incredible story to the stage once again.
The play captures the chaos, uncertainty and dilemmas of teenage life, constantly swinging from moments of joy and laughter to emotional troubles.
Headmaster (Milo Twomey), a bumbling leader, whose desire to improve the school’s league table standing leads to him bringing in supply teacher Irwin. He takes a completely different approach to Hector, who encourages the boys to act out scenes from film and literature in his General Studies lessons. As the story unfolds, so do the complex layers of not just the boys, but also the teachers.
The cast bring the story to life – the teachers Hector (Jolyon Young), Irwin (Bill Milner) and Mrs Lintott (Gillian Bevan) are joined by the boys Crowther, Dakin, Posner, Rudge, Timms, Lockwood, Akthar and Scripps, who all give funny and poignant performances. Each character is different, yet together, they have a tremendous chemistry.
Stand out performances came from the sexually confused Posner (Lewis Cornay) who was suffering from unrequited love for his friend; Dakin (Archie Christoph-Allen) with his overflowing confidence and charm; and Scripps (Yazdan Qadouri), the thoughtful friend and devout Christian. Mention must also be given to Timms, played by Teddy Hinde, who had everyone laughing often before he had spoken his lines!
The set was simple but effective, and an amazing 80s soundtrack accompanied each scene change, carried out seamlessly by the boys themselves.
At its core, The History Boys is a play about education, but it goes much deeper than that. It’s about human connections that ultimately shape our lives.
This 2024 revival masterfully captures the wit and emotional complexity of Bennett’s play. The questions it posed twenty years ago are just as relevant today. Whether you have seen the play or film before, this new production is well worth seeing.