At a boys' grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright teenagers is getting out, starting university - and starting life.
At the heart of The History Boys are four characters, each with contrasting outlooks on teaching and school: Hector, an eccentric English teacher with no interest in exams; Irwin, a young teacher who sees history as "entertainment"; Mrs Lintott, a traditionalist, who teaches "history, not histrionics"; and a Headmaster obsessed with results.
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[Irwin is in a wheelchair, in his forties, addressing three or four unidentified MP's]***
(AudioGO, 12 April 2006, first published 2004, 2 hours 12 minutes, audiobook, borrowed from my library)
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The History Boys is the first play I've read (or in this case listened to) by Alan Bennett.
I really enjoyed it.
The actors were spot on. I've only ever seen Frances de la Tour in Rising Damp and I thought she was brilliant in this play. The four teachers were great characters and I liked the different ways they approached teaching. This led to some humorous moments.
I also liked the characters of the eight boys. They were all different and stood out from each other.
The History Boys has a lot of humour in it, brought out by the personalities of the boys, their potential and hopes for the future. There are some dark moments as well focussed around Hector, his unconventional teaching and inappropriate relationships with his 'boys'. The ending is quite bleak in some regards but there's hope as well.
The play deals with rivalry, between the boys and between the teachers as well. I enjoyed the way this was handled.
The History Boys had me engrossed from start to finish. I would love to see it performed. The play is rich, enjoyable and a treat.