Lopez Blogs

And now for a bit of culture - and a topic i may revisit as i now become obsessed by all things History Boys. I just got back from seeing the national touring production of this play and I absolutely adored it from start to finish. As i knew I would...

I first read about The History Boys about a year or so ago and decided to order the book of the play. I really liked it - it definitely makes you think and I, of course, identified strongly with the character of Posner and his unrequited love on one of his schoolmates.

As with all of Alan Bennet's plays, it is a study of Englishness or more particularly the English education system. Different teaching methods are enshrined in the three main characters - Mrs Linnot, Hector and Mr Irwin - and this sets up a dialogue about truth, the function of knowledge and how history is made.

But the History Boys is far from didactic. The writing touches on the humanity of the characters and the complexity of the issues. Orlando Wells and Stephen Moore were particularly excellent as Irwin and Hector - the first tasked with getting the boys through exams, the second professing a horror of formulaic teaching methods. Hector is a brilliant character who you really feel for - and its interesting that the boys want to get on his motorcycle even though they know he will act inappropriately with them...

The play has many moments of great comedy, sometimes in the witty incisive dialoge and sometimes in the reactions of the cast (and audience - i never heard such a sharp intake of breath from the woman behind when Mrs Linnot calls the headmaster a c***wipe!!). But my favourite characters had to be the excellent Steven Webb as sensitive outsider Posner and his cocky big-man-on-campus crush Daykin, played by the aesthetically pleasing Ben Barnes. And what a beautiful relationship they had...

Ultimately, i wanted to watch it all over again as soon as it had finished (something that only usually happens with Love, Actually) - a wry and touching piece that forces many questions but provides few answers - yet is somehow incredibly satisfying :)

(check out download discussion pack here!)