The History Boys
“You can have knowledge just for the sake of it” says Hector to his
students as he prepares them for the Oxbridge examination in Alan
Bennett’s The History Boys, a play that addresses the
relationship between coming of age and youthful expectation.
Upon its premiere at the National Theatre in 2004, the work became an
instant success with an extended run, followed by two successful
seasons in the West End and a triumphant transfer to Broadway. This
new touring production, a partnership between the Theatre Royal Bath
and the West Yorkshire Playhouse, seems set to continue this
commercial and artistic success.
The plot is simple, following eight boys that have been selected for
their academic ability to apply for Oxbridge, and charts the ups and
downs along the way to them achieving their goal. Their teacher,
Hector, is forced to reassess his own relationship with the boys upon
the arrival of a new tutor to the school, Irwin, who shows the boys a
different way to look at the world. The following events constitute an
intelligent observation of the education system and the relationship
between teacher and pupil.
Gerard Murphy as Hector turns in a strong performance full of
nuances displaying his passion for literature. Other notable efforts include James Byng as Posner, and Kyle Redmond-Jones
as Dakin who embody the polemic teaching styles of their alma mater.
The rest of the boys are a delight to watch as they dart about the
stage making wise cracks at one another. Their brother-like solidarity
is what makes the second act so powerful.
Some of the darker elements of the script were not explored to their
full limits, with the audience not feeling as sympathetic after
Hector’s death as they should do. This was not due to lack of ability
from the cast, rather the product of safe direction from Christopher
Luscombe. Similarly the revelation of misconduct amongst the staff
was not delivered with as much drama as could have been and
consequently handicapped the emotional development of the
performances.
It is not hard to see why The History Boys has enjoyed such
success and continues to fill houses every night. The script is as
funny as it is moving, and works as social commentary of growing up in
the north of England and been educated in institutions where “The
chief enemy of culture in any school is the headmaster.”
– Harrison Kelly
