The History Boys

Alan Bennett’s award winning play, set in the early 1980s, follows a class of bright history students who are preparing for their Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams. A young supply teacher is brought in who believes in a more modern and rather ruthless approach to teaching.  He questions the way history is taught at the school and the play goes as far as to question the aim of education itself. This is a thought provoking piece of drama with a very wordy script, some of it in French. It touches on issues which thirty years ago were still considered taboo and even today may still have the ability to shock.

The single set was that of an old established school.  Scene changes were swiftly carried out causing minimal interruption to the pace and good use was made of the apron, with the Headmaster’s study downstage left and staff room downstage right. 

The show was very well cast with some strong performances. Steve Murray as Hector, the eccentric English teacher who abuses his position of trust, Matt Russell as the Headmaster with an eye on improving the schools position in the league tables and Paul Gardiner as supply teacher Irwin.  The only female member of the cast is Mrs Lintott, well played by Lorraine Mason, a teacher and a good listener over tea in the staff room.  

For me though, it was the students who were the stars of the show.  Each one of these young actors had developed his own character and all were so totally believable.  They had to handle some difficult subjects but did so with confidence and conviction and I think they all deserve a mention, so here goes -

Patrick Cowell as Dakin, ready to exploit Irwin’s feelings towards him, Posner (James Player) still trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Reece Hannigan as Scripps, who lives by his Christian beliefs, Charlie Morton-Moody as Tims, always ready with a joke and Ross Forbes as Lockwood, always ready to offer an opinion.  Jay Peters as Rudge, Kian Reeve as Crowther and Michael Raphael as Akhtar completed the line-up and they all worked so well together. 

Director Gemma Harrison says in her programme notes that this is a show she has wanted to direct for a long time.  She can certainly be justifiably proud of this production.

Thank you for inviting me.  It’s always a pleasure to see a Centre Stage production.

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