The History Boys to return to the West End

The National Theatre production of The History Boys will return to the West End for the first time in 20 years.

Nicholas Hytner will be directing Alan Bennett’s play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from April, reuniting with designer Bob Crowley for the production. It originally premiered at the National Theatre in 2004 before transferring to the West End and Broadway. The play won three Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards.

Set in 1980s Britain, The History Boys follows eight pupils at a boys’ grammar school in Sheffield as they prepare for university entrance examinations. The play explores education, class, sexuality and adolescence through the relationships between the pupils and their teachers. It has been considered one of the greatest plays of the century.

The production will open in previews on 10 April and run through to 24 July, with casting to be announced in January 2027. A total of 20,000 tickets will be available for £25, with general sale beginning at 9am on 23 October.

Brian and Dayna Lee and Hytner (who collaborated on West End hits like Giant) will produce the West End revival, alongside Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment. Mark Rubinstein is executive producer, with general management by Short Street Productions Ltd.

Lee and Lee said: “When Nicholas Hytner’s production of The History Boys first arrived on the London stage, it was an era-defining moment in contemporary British theatre. It was a cultural phenomenon that enthralled audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and introduced a new generation to the power of theatre. It’s a privilege to bring Alan Bennett’s landmark production back to the West End for the first time in 20 years, with the incomparable Nicholas Hytner once again at the helm, as we continue our partnership that began with Giant and continued more recently with The Standard of Living. Bennett’s sharp, funny and deeply moving exploration of institutional culture, class and education feels as timely as ever. We can’t wait to share this remarkable production with a whole new generation.”

Hytner added: “More than 20 years after it opened, it’s the right time to be bringing this great and much loved play back to the London stage. I can’t wait to take another look at it, and to introduce it to a new generation of theatre goers. My collaboration with Alan Bennett has been central to my creative life, and it’s a delight to be back in the theatre with him again.”

Bennett concluded: “The History Boys is one of the happiest plays I’ve written. Or rather, it was one of the happiest of my plays to write. It was also one of the quickest to set down, taking far less than my usual five years. So, something of a record for me. The play is full of quotes and has itself become eminently quotable. A joy for any playwright. I welcome its return under Nicholas Hytner.”