Director Seán Linnen captures the youthful glee of young men on the brink of adulthood. Emma Bate reviews The History Boys at Richmond Theatre.
Running until November 2nd.
OUR VERDICT
The premise of Bennett’s contemporary drama is simple. It’s 1980s Thatcherite Britain. The recent year 13 History students of Cutlers Grammar School, Sheffield, have achieved the best A-Level results the school has seen. They return after summer to study for Oxbridge entrance exams.
Taught by their eccentric General Studies teacher Mr Hector, who cherishes education simply for the sake of knowledge, and the young temporary recruit Mr Irwin whose sole job is to tutor them for exam success, the boys find themselves caught between two polar opposite notions of education.
Should knowledge be taught and appreciated for the joy of learning, or is it simply a means to an end, something to be manipulated and applied in order to achieve exam success?
Linnen’s take on the play is not necessarily original.
The uncomplicated set includes a classroom, and the occasional appearance of a water cooler and sofa to signify the staffroom. Yet, this minimalist approach doesn’t detract. For a drama which primarily revolves around the abstract notion of knowledge, there is no need for a visually impressive spectacle.
A talented cast brings the intellectual discussions to life.
Simon Rouse perfectly captures Hector’s tragic hero-esque quality.
A talented cast brings the intellectual discussions to life. Simon Rouse perfectly captures Hector's tragic hero-esque quality. Oblivious to his inappropriate behaviour, his groping of the boys during their motorcycle rides home undermines the value of the cultural education he offers.
Perhaps the most striking element of this version is the music. Sound designer Russell Ditchfield’s playlist of cracking pop hits transports us back to the 80s.
Each scene transition is effortlessly achieved with the distraction of the boys jamming out to the playlist of their youth. Moving furniture as they dance to OMD or Culture Club is a stylish and slick device.
Music features heavily within Bennett’s script and Linnen’s version certainly honours this, with impressive singing from many of the cast. Particularly striking are Lewis Cornay as the naive Posner and Yazdan Qafouri as the devoted Scripps.
At different times Cornay and Qafouri appear to pluck pitch perfect starting notes out of thin air, before the rest of the boys join in and sing in glorious harmony. Cornay’s hauntingly beautiful rendition of jazz classic Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered deserves particular praise, as does Qafouri’s piano playing.
Fittingly, Tears For Fears’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World accompanies the cast as they take their bows. The lyrics ‘Nothing ever lasts forever’ strike a particular chord following Hector’s final words of wisdom regarding the baton of knowledge and how all one can do is ‘Pass it on’.
For a play which has thoroughly discussed the past, the lasting message seems to be one of cherishing the present.
