The History Boys 👔

#PRInvite #Gifted | Schools might be out for another few days yet, but Alan Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ has lessons to learn at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, this week - marking the play's 20th anniversary.

Star rating: ★★★

The bell is ringing for Alan Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ as this play, first conceived in 2004, has been treated to a fresh revival which is currently touring the UK. When the play first started out, it premiered at The National Theatre in London, before transferring to Broadway in 2006. It was a limited run in New York, playing only 136 performances; yet the production was handed multiple awards - earning the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for Best New Play at both sides of the Atlantic. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about the show before I saw it at His Majesty’s Theatre last night, but learned that there is a film adaptation, too, starring James Corden and this is currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer. It is also a popular choice to study within the English curriculum in schools.

The plot follows eight young adult men, studying in their final year at Cutlers’ Grammar School for Boys in Sheffield. All boys yearn for a better life at the end of their school days and are encouraged by the new Headmaster to apply to top universities to continue their studies. They become known as the ‘scholarship candidates’ and have to readjust to a new way of learning when the Headmaster brings in Irwin, a newly qualified teacher, to take the school’s academic results to new heights. Of course, this is not an easy transition for the boys who are used to the pacing of Hector’s lessons - a much older teacher who focuses on his relationships with his learners rather than churning them through the curriculum. With Hector pushed aside, the boys look for his attention in more ways than one, and the audience learn that Hector has been sexually fondling the boys on their way home. It is an uncomfortable storyline where we witness these young adults, although all of age and consenting, explore their pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university.

Alan Bennett is a skillful writer, having penned plenty recognisable titles from 1972’s ‘A Day Out’ to 2018’s ‘Allelujah!’, a comic drama about an NHS hospital threatened with closure, released as a film in 2022. Despite this, it is the writing of the play which is the absolute downfall for me as the material made me feel extremely uneasy. And not for the reason you might think. ‘The History Boys’ tackles the mature themes and sexual abuse through a comedic lens, where the extent of Hector’s actions are never taken seriously throughout the play. I found it really odd observing the audience, where laughs would creep out at inappropriate parts - and it forced me to question why this play had been chosen for a revival in 2024, regardless of the anniversary. Particularly in an era post Jimmy Saville; where crimes like these are still rife today with the recent case of Huw Edwards - perhaps it was best to educate audiences to have the correct reactions to these predatory behaviours rather than making them laugh?

Saying that, there are two ways to watch this show - and speaking with others to flesh out these ideas really helped with my understanding of why the show was constructed in this way. An audience may watch the events of ‘The History Boys’ unfold at face value and recognise that claims like these are commonly glossed over, not taken seriously, and are ultimately covered up at large. The audience may also invest themselves into the humour, recognising that Bennett has used this as a technique to convey the schoolboys’ trauma. By viewing the chain of events through this lens, the show highlights a clear moral question for all of the characters in the show, with the adults aiming to protect a teacher they know and care for. After all, the show defines history as ‘just one fucking thing after another’, highlighting cracks in the society we feel has moved on since the show’s initial conception.

Nonetheless, the creative input behind the show’s revival is welcomed and is particularly effective. Seán Linnen directs the piece with both a clear understanding of the material, but also teaching as a career. What I enjoyed most about the production, as a teacher myself, were the subtle gestures towards the pernicketiness of teachers and routines that eventually become endearing and memorable for students. For example, I laughed at Dakin telling his new teacher Irwin off for slamming jotters on the table as their previous teacher had drilled into them that that would lead to the spine falling apart. This could have easily been a throwaway line, but Linnen has fleshed moments like these out to become really authentic. The staging is clever, too, especially when showing the contrast between Hector and Irwin’s teaching styles with the same classroom space alternating from relaxed seating to formal rows to show Irwin’s cynical approach to lessons. 

The revival is complimented by Grace Smart’s set and costume design exhibiting traditional ideas of masculinity from the offset, with a gym court floor extending and curving up to the ceiling. Each scene is set with clever trickery from the ensemble who rotate a central truck to form different areas of the school, envisioned by Movement Director Chi-San Howard. The lighting design by Ryan Day enhances the gritty and rusty feel to a run-down school building too. The show is infused with music from the 80s during set changes, serving as a reminder of when the show is actually set, as in this version of the show, the time is superfluous and theoretically could be applied to any decade.

In the school picture are a stellar cast composed of Lewis Cornay, Yazdan Qafouri, Tashinga Bepete, Teddy Hinde, Curtis Kemlo, Ned Costello, Mahesh Parmar and Archie Christoph-Allen as the History Boys. There was a great chemistry between all of the boys, who portrayed an array of stereotypical school-kids without being caricatures. Lots of subtle, but effective, acting choices were made with their background reactions to minute details within the script all very authentic. Cornay’s portrayal of Posner was compelling, and Christoph-Allen’s depiction of Dakin was note-worthy too. Perhaps the stand-out, though, was Qafouri as Scripps. Audience members may recognise him from the BBC’s ‘Let It Shine’ programme where Qafouri was voted to tour the UK in ‘The Band’: the Take That Musical. Qafouri has relearned the piano, frequently accompanying scenes without any sheet music prompts and this was very impressive.

With many seasoned musical theatre performers in the cast, I was glad to see their voices had been utilised with some gorgeous acoustic and acapella singing, including unplugged renditions of some songs you will instantly recognise. The music was composed and arranged by Russel Ditchfield, sporting some full harmonies, and musically directed by Eamonn O’Dwyer. The book is also woven together with lots of intertextuality, with allusions to poetry and Noël Coward’s ‘Brief Encounters’. Balancing out the cast are Milo Twomey as Headmaster, Gillian Bevan as Mrs Lintott, Simon Rouse as Hector and Bill Milner as Irwin. All performances were exemplary, showcasing very different approaches to teaching and getting classes on side. The show also included an ensemble who were necessary for scene changes, but otherwise, there was no lasting impression as a group.

I suspect that ‘The History Boys’ will divide audiences this week. Many may revisit this play as one that they have previously studied, or there may be fans of the film who attend this fresh version of the show, and will leave enjoying an excellent production of this. Some may attend without any experience of the show and leave feeling rather conflicted like I did. With further thought and unpacking, I can see the line of intention for this revival, but I do worry that the sell-by date of the material has long expired before the school’s final bell.

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts, @historyboys20

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts