The History Boys
Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Opens: Saturday, 10 April 2027 -
Booking until: Saturday, 24 July 2027
The History Boys description
The History Boys is Alan Bennett's comedy about eight bright sixth-formers, their teachers and the question of what an education is really for.
Set in a boys' grammar school in Sheffield in the 1980s, the play follows a group of pupils being prepared for the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams. Their headmaster wants results, and brings in a young supply teacher, Irwin, to sharpen their technique. His approach, which treats history as an argument to be won, clashes with that of Hector, an eccentric English teacher who believes in learning for its own sake, while Mrs Lintott, who teaches them history, watches the men around her with dry amusement. Between lessons, the boys navigate friendship, sex and school politics.
The production premiered at the National Theatre in 2004 before transferring to the West End and Broadway. It won three Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, and six Tony Awards, including Best Play, and was adapted into a 2006 film with its original cast. This staging marks the production's first return to the West End in 20 years, with a 16-week run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
The play is written by Alan Bennett, whose work includes Talking Heads, The Madness of George III and The Lady in the Van. Nicholas Hytner, Director of the National Theatre from 2003 to 2015 and co-founder of the Bridge Theatre, returns to direct a reworking of his original production. His theatre credits include One Man, Two Guvnors, Giant and The Standard of Living. Olivier Award winner Bob Crowley (The Inheritance, Giant) returns to design the set.
Casting for the new production has not yet been announced. The original company included Richard Griffiths as Hector and Frances de la Tour as Mrs Lintott, both Tony Award winners for their roles, with a young cast that featured James Corden, Dominic Cooper and Russell Tovey.
Book now to see Bennett's sharp, funny portrait of school life return to the London stage.
