The History Boys is at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry: 8th – 12th October

Many will remember The History Boys film in 2006. Starring Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour, it also had up and coming actors James Corden and Dominic Cooper too, What ever happened to them? Of course, it was originally an Alan Bennett script, based on his critically acclaimed play from 2004.

Many of that class made it into the film. The story is set in Cutlers’ Boys Grammar School, Sheffield in the 80s, where the sixth form high flyers are invited back for one term to prepare for their Oxbridge exams. Bennetts words as ever have that skill of seeming real, and telling a real story about real people. Sublime!

This is the 20th anniversary production of the play and it has the very welcome & adept addition of several dance and music numbers. Here I must mention the movement director – Chi San Howard and the musical director Eamon O’Dwyer. Their song and dance routines, particularly the singing from the Lewis Cornay (Posner) were excellent. The music was an interesting mix of 80s classics and snippets of 40s music hall, which sounds odd but it really really works and sets the scene well. The concert party routine to Gracie Fields “As you wave me goodbye” was a highlight.

Speaking of scenes. As this is a touring production the set is simple but very effective. Consisting of the interior and exterior of a classroom which rotates (during the 80s musical interludes), this really does seem like the 80s classrooms I remember. However very cleverly the different teaching styles of the polar opposite teachers is delineated by the layout of the classroom. So simple, so obvious and so true. Each scene is set in school; we never really leave, which is metaphor for the teaching staff. As a result the scenes are short, almost sketch-like in their length. This gives the play a lovely episodic quality and resetting the scene gives the opportunity for more 80s tunes.

There is no star of this show, there are just excellent performances from all the cast. Alan Bennett’s words are a joy to hear, and the cast particularly “the boys” deliver them well, especially as there are an awful lot of quotations in the script. This itself must have been a feat. Teddy Hinde as Timms was excellent at this and regurgitated his quotes and bon motts fed by his teachers with skill, and wit.

There are though two worlds in this play, and it reminds somewhat of Upstairs Downstairs or It aint half hot mum! There’s very much a division between the teachers and the boys, this is based not on class but on age and experience. The teaching staff are brilliant but flawed, Hector is facing retirement and is an intellectual maverick charged with giving the boys “General studies” lessons, none of these “lessons” are on any syllabus. A noble character to start with, it is revealed that Hector is flawed and is sadly hands on with the older more handsome students, when they ride pillion on his moped. This was a difficult juxtaposition: the much loved teacher who overstepped the mark. Yet bizarrely none of the boys objected to his advances and willingly volunteered to ride with him. A different world and a different time.

Hector is played well by Simon Rowse. At first I thought he had forgotten his lines, but this was part of Hector’s character, thoughtful and observant. At times Hector is the hero of the piece and at other times the villain. He is never played as menacing but mostly avuncular which makes him even more difficult to despise. Sadly the headmaster, Felix, a league tables driven man, and the most two dimensional of all the characters, was a Basil Fawlty type. Full of ideas, one teacher describes him as a tw*t, and anyone in education has met his sort. He is played with manic energy by Milo Twomey. One of his good ideas is to introduce a new teacher, Oxford educated and only 4 years older than the boys, to get them into Oxbridge. A Gareth Malone look alike, Mr Irwin (Bill Milner) is the juxtaposition to Hector. Young and organised, and brimming with enthusiasm he tries to get the boys to reject the teachings from Hector and other teacher Mrs Linott, with order to get into the top two unis. The phrase exam factory was created for this man.

The clash of styles sees the boys conflicted and leads to confrontation. Whilst Irwin will get them places and the desired results its Hector who is giving them the rounded worldly education they need. If only he wasn’t so tactile. Mr Irwin equally has issues with his love life, in fact all the teaching staff do. Again this is a metaphor for life the boys are largely unfettered by a partner desperately wanting one whereas the teachers are unhappy with the love life they’ve got. The final member of the teaching staff is the boys original history teacher Mrs Linott. An excellent factual teacher as a woman she is not seen as capable of getting the boys into university, such is the hierarchy of 1984 education. She is played with real passion by Gillan Bevan who previously played Claire the Thatcher like head in Channel 4 Teachers.

The students are also played with aplomb by the young cast. Interestingly the producer has made the character not appear to be fresh students thrown together, but old friends with a long line of banter and badinage, who’ve returned to school on the whim of their headteacher. This really comes across well, very subtle but done very well. As all the students are all bright young men, at first it is difficult to tell them apart, but gradually they start to show their own traits and personality.

Key amongst these is Posener (Lewis Cornay) young, Jewish, Northern and gay, he is struggling with his identity, but boy can he carry a tune! Theres Scripps, a wannabe journalist (Yazdan Qafouri). Struggling with Christianity before sex, Yazdan is also a talented musican and cranks out a good few tunes on a old school style piano. Ned Costello is Rudge the class thicky, no one is really sure really why he is there? His only interest is sport and he thinks history is just “just one f*cking thing after another”. He’ll never achieve anything, will he..?

Finally in the main players amongst the boys is Dakin, in opposition to Hector, he doesn’t really care about other people, and is ruthless in his relationships with his girlfriend, Posener and Mr Irwin. He is played with frightening charm by Archie Christoph – Allen.

History Boys is an enjoyable thought provoking show with some excellent performances from a young cast. The musical elements and dance sequences are a welcome addition. The theatre on opening night was almost full, with a good mix of those who remembered the 80s, like me and those studying this play. Production was tight, sets were sparing but effective. If you enjoyed the movie, or saw the play 20 years ago, you will enjoy this staging. It’s an A+ from me, with a school trip down memory lane you won’t forget in a long time.

History Boys is at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry all this week until Saturday 12th September (with matinee performance) as part of a UK tour.

Theatre Review written by Myles Sullivan: The Travel Locker Press Team

Credit: All production shots – Marc Brenner )

The History Boys is the winner of over 30 major international awards. The original production at the National Theatre which opened in 2004 before international tour and film adaptation, starred the late Richard Griffiths and launched the careers of James Corden, Dominic Cooper, Russell Tovey, and Jamie Parker among others.

The Cast: Simon Rouse as Hector, Milo Twomey as Headmaster, Gillian Bevan as Mrs. Lintott and Bill Milner as Irwin. The students are played by Archie Christoph-Allen as Dakin, Lewis Cornay as Posner, Teddy Hinde as Timms, Yazdan Qafouri as Scripps, Ned Costello as Rudge, Mahesh Parmar as Akthar, Tashinga Bepete as Crowther, and Curtis Kemlo as Lockwood, with Rowena Bentley, Morgan Phillips, Zrey Sholapurkar, Elliot Parchment-Morrison, Rob Astillo and Jolyon Young as ensemble, many of whom are making their professional stage debuts.

The Creative team: Director Seán Linnen, Set and Costume Designer Grace Smart, Lighting Designer Ryan Day, Composer, Arranger &Sound Designer Russell Ditchfield, Movement Director Chi-San Howard, Casting Director Matilda James CDG, Musical Director Eamonn O’Dwyer, Assistant Director Emily Oulton.