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Review Round-up: More Top Marks for History Boys

After conquering Broadway and the big screen, the National Theatre’s multi award-winning stage production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys returned to London this week, at last receiving its West End premiere on Wednesday (3 January 2007, previews from 21 December) at Wyndham’s Theatre (See 1st Night Photos, 4 Jan 2007).

Set in the 1980s, The History Boys questions the purpose and means of education. In a school where the headmaster cares only about exam results, a bunch of excitable sixth-form boys go about their pursuit of the important things: sex, sport and a university place.

Since its premiere at the National on 18 May 2004, The History Boys’ myriad awards to date have included: Best Play at the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards, Best New Play at the Olivier Awards, Best New Comedy at the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards and, in New York, no fewer than six Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play.

In the current cast, seen on the road last year for the play’s second major UK tour, Stephen Moore plays unconventional English teacher Hector (originated on stage and screen Richard Griffiths), with Isla Blair (as Mrs Lintott), William Chubb (as the Headmaster) and Orlando Wells (as Irwin). The boys are played by Owain Arthur (Timms), Ben Barnes (Dakin), Philip Correia (Rudge), Marc Elliott (Akthar), Thomas Morrison (Scripps), Akemnji Ndifornyen (Crowther), David Poynor (Lockwood) and Steven Webb (Posner).

While first night critics praised the current strong ensemble, many missed the play’s original cast, who, they said, are “indelibly” associated with the roles following the extended National Theatre runs, international tour, Broadway run and film. However, they all enjoyed anew the banter, emotional tugs and intellectual tussles in Bennett’s comedy drama, and some even preferred seeing the play in its new proscenium arch home in the West End.

Benedict Nightingale in The Times (4 stars) – “It’s nearly three years since Alan Bennett’s The History Boys started the journey that took it from triumph at the National to almost greater success on Broadway — and its revival in the West End, though far from bad, left me nostalgic for Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour and a cast that had me thinking and laughing, laughing and thinking, all at the same time…. Bennett somewhat sentimentalises Hector… but here’s where Griffiths was so strong, bringing astringency and a sly sense of mischief to the old-fashioned humanist. Stephen Moore, who now takes the role, ends up finding a touching vulnerability and pain in the character, but tries too hard at first to be likeable and at times seems so ingratiating that any sharp 17-year-old (and almost all his pupils are just that) would certainly fart in his general direction…. The class members are again a pretty impressive lot. But William Chubb isn’t as fiercely obsessive as Clive Merrison’s headmaster in 2004 nor has the usually excellent Isla Blair the sardonic, seen-it-all fatalism of de la Tour…. But does the slight lack of fizz that was apparent on opening night make the play less essential viewing? Not at all.”

- by Caroline Ansdell

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	The History Boys - 8th Jan 2008 reviews