Alan Bennett - The History Boys

A darkly humorous play 'The History Boys' has been greeted with open arms and much critical acclaim. It has picked up an impressive six Tony Awards this year and is set to kick off its second tour of the UK this month. Its self-defacing author Alan Bennett is affectionately deemed one of the foremost English playwrights of his generation. Unsurprisingly, all this success has paved the way for 'The History Boys' to move to the big screen in a forthcoming BBC film adapted by Bennett, and directed by Nicholas Hytner.

In the words of Alan Bennett himself "theatre is often at its most absorbing when it's at school." That seems to be the case in his latest production of 'The History Boys' which is set in a schoolroom, a generic scene to which most of us can relate. However, the play does not offer a lecture on History, Education or the Arts. It is thankfully much more entertaining than that. Yet what, if anything does Bennett want us to learn from this play?

Typically, the play explores the big themes of love, death, human relationships and hope. The action revolves around a charming group of over-achieving and rowdy school boys and their pigeonholed and disillusioned teachers and Headmaster. However, far from being just another coming of age play 'The History Boys' delves into the complicated issue of trust and the intricate nature of human sexuality. From the beginning of the play we are aware that language is being used to demonstrate how ideas can be turned around to mean the opposite. In this way Bennett indulges the audience in a sharp-witted script and the wicked gratification of conspiring in the action. He tenderly brings all these themes together with the use of scholarly dialogue that lends humour and charm to even the darkest theme or character.

Unquestionably there is something of the author himself hidden behind several of the characters; this inevitably leads us to the question; is 'The History Boys' in fact Bennett offering us a revisionist history of his own school experience? Is the classroom on stage then an arena for the fruition of unfulfilled fantasy and academic prowess? Certainly, the sheer confidence and intelligence with which these pupils interact with their teachers is quite far removed from most people's memory of school. Nevertheless, whether you see yourself in Bennett's characters or not, the action of 'The History Boys' encourages you to reflect upon your own school days and the education system as a whole, begging the question is education an end in itself or a means to an end?

Ultimately, 'The History Boys' is not prescriptive about what message the audience should take from it. On the one hand the play reminds us of the angst and enthusiasm of youth. We can empathize with the schoolboy antics and the pressure to pass examinations. However, Bennett challenges this sense of nostalgia by creating characters that are in one moment the focus of our affection and in the next breath a source of distaste. We as the audience may witness on stage some of our own character traits and more relevantly our flaws. We may feel challenged by the events that transpire or even saddened. This is what comes of the author's subtle examination of the grey areas of human motivation. No doubt Bennett's ability to mix the poignant with the comic, the lofty with the base, has ingratiated him to audiences and critics both overseas and at home.