Class act as History Boys returns to Milton Keynes Theatre
Alan Bennett's awarding-winning comedy drama returns.
One of the great plays of the decade, Alan Bennett's The History Boys comes to Milton Keynes Theatre in the first major revival since the original production which opened in May 2004 at the NationalTheatre.
The History Boys is set in a grammar school in the North of England where a boisterous bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys are in pursuit mainly of sex and sport, but also an Oxbridge place, despite the best efforts of their endearingly eccentric teacher, Hector.
In Alan Bennett's play, staffroom rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence provoke insistent questions about history and how you teach it; about education and its purpose.
A story of learning, in the broadest sense of the word, The History Boys is both a celebration of the buoyancy of youth and an elegy to lost traditions, providing a rich vein of comedy.
Alan Bennett is one of Britain's most loved and distinctive playwrights, wry and tender his impeccably-observed plays include Talking Heads, Forty Years On, Habeas Corpus, The Madness of George III, Single Spies, Enjoy and The Lady in the Van.
He is a man for whom the phrase 'national treasure' could have been created.
Think Alan Bennett and you think of a writer who has captured the essence of being British.
People love his work for its mix of the poignant and gentle mixed in with a campaigning air and a bit of true Northern grit.
His semi-autobiographical worldwide hit The History Boys comes to MKT with a new cast capturing the pheromones, sweat, naivety and passion of teenage life so successfully.
The play is a true stage classic opening at the National Theatre in 2004 before winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play that year.
A Laurence Olivier Award followed in 2005 and a Tony the following year, with 2006 also seeing the original cast starring in the highly-acclaimed film version.
The play's popularity still surprises Bennett. He said: "The success of The History Boys is still a source of wonder to me really. When you're young, you don't think about it. Like the boys in the play, they think it's quite natural for something to do so well on Broadway. We were the same."
But is it autobiographical? The playwright concedes his headteacher wanted him to go to Oxford just like the boys in the History Boys.
Bennett adds: "That is about as far as it goes. My history master was very traditional – a good man – but we didn't have anyone charismatic like Hector."
But it is not just character that makes Bennett's work stand out. He is passionate about a number of issues and this comes across in his work. When The History Boys opened, it ignited a debate about the role of targets in education and the effect this has on schooling.
The playwright used this opportunity to give his views on education especially on the role of history in the curriculum.
"I think the notion of scrapping history as a subject is just mad – it's just insane. Tony Blair had a very shaky notion of history as far as I can see. If he'd had more of a sense of history, it would have deterred him from going into Afghanistan, which anybody who studied history at school would know is a very dangerous area, and similarly Iraq.
"Those are very simple things and I'm very sure that the people in the Foreign Office knew them but Tony Blair didn't take any notice of them. Politicians can be very nave and it's a very good illustration of the importance of history."
A reflective Bennett, 75, has built up a cast-iron legacy of thoughtful and moving writing laced with a real ability to understand what makes the British people tick.
Don't miss class and your chance to witness the lyrical wit and genius of one of the nation's favourite writers.
The History Boys runs from May 17-22. To book tickets contact the box office 0844 871 7652 or visit www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
