REVIEW: The History Boys at the Everyman Theatre
'The History Boys' by Alan Bennett is set in a Sheffield boys grammar school in the 1980’s and has been billed as ‘the nations favourite play. “
An excellent cast took some of us back to our schooldays and the unenviable prospect of taking the next steps in our lives. The play focuses on a group of eight sixth formers as they and their teachers attempt to up the gain of the school and give the boys a push to get them into Oxbridge. They’re a mixed bunch who get along well and all eight are utterly convincing as schoolboys (although I am sure they all left a number of years ago!
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The English teacher, Hector (Richard Hope) has a teaching style and character which is not approved by all the staff, although he does seem to have some effect on them. A new supply teacher who has been drafted in to help the boys prepare for the impending entrance examinations has to share his classes. This adds to the humour of the play as the teachers attempt to get the best out of the boys.
The teachers have different styles of teaching and don’t always see eye to eye with their work colleagues but the boys seem to take something good from each of them. I particularly enjoyed the French scene in the play and one of the boys, Posner, played by Hollyoaks’ Steven Roberts was excellent throughout as the lovable misfit of the class.
It’s a play which although set in the 80’s is as relevant today, and therefore the only thing putting it back to the eighties was the more lax views of the behaviour of the teachers and the rather catchy soundtrack.
The History Boys runs until Saturday 4 April 2015
Explore Gloucestershire
31 March 2015
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