Review: 'The History Boys'

By Hana Teraie-Wood.

Before reading Hana's review listen to our exclusive preview of the production here.

The History Boys is a play that sticks in every budding student’s psyche; for the embittered it recounts the riddled race for Oxbridge and for the rest it awakens the best memories of schooling days. The popularity of this play showed with a sell-out opening night and a drama barn heaving with an audience packed like sardines.  And, having my backpack crushed between my knees and my toes jutting into a man’s back was a token experience in the barn, one which allowed for as many people as possible to see this brilliant production which, if I’d had the space, would have had me off my seat.

The transformation of 21 year olds into the ageing school teachers was awe inducing; the Headmaster looked, acted and almost was John Cleese reincarnated.  Like a walking talking cartoon, the headmaster gave himself the pathetic air of a disorganised but malicious buffoon. Claire Curtis-Ward’s performance as Mrs Lintott cut through as the sane speaker of truths, and Hector was everything that Hector could and should be. His vivaciousness was juggled with a pompous gravity to such a degree that the loss of his presence near the end of the play became a true mourning of a successfully complex character.

Pete Watts’s narration of the clan of class oddballs was a real standout performance; he kept the play together and he delivered all the emotion of Bennett’s heart-warming lines with a sincerity that felt truly real. Steven Jeram brought all the poignancy of Posner’s role to the table, depicting him as a confused boy with his heart on his sleeve. His lead in one of the closing songs ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ was the most touching moment of the whole play, and it was delivered by the whole cast of boys with a tenderness that is unparalleled by any play previously seen in the barn. The quality of Jeram’s singing was astounding, and having seen him previously in TFTV’s production of Cloud 9, he is in my eyes, one of the most talented actors at York.

What this production did best was its delivery of Bennett’s view on history, its transcendence of the school room and its governance by the luck of chance. Each member of the cast shone, and together they delivered one of the strongest productions that I’ve seen in the barn. As one of the audience members told me afterwards, this production reassures you that you should go home and read, and this is what The History Boys should do every time. This is something that you shouldn’t miss.

You can hear our full audio review on the ((URY PLAYER)) now in YorWorld!