Alan Bennett’s Laurence Olivier Award-winning play The History Boys returns to the West End for a second run this winter, opening at the Wyndham’s on 20 December.
Desmond Barrit returns to the role of eccentric teacher Hector in Bennett’s comic play set in the 1980s in an all-boys school. It follows an unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth form students in their pursuit of sex, sport and a place at Oxbridge, a maverick English teacher at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher, a headmaster obsessed with results and a history teacher who thinks the head is a fool.
The History Boys first opened at the National’s Lyttelton theatre in May 2004, originally directed by the NT’s Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner and starring Richard Griffiths as Hector and Frances De La Tour as Mrs Lintott. The production went on to triumph in all major British theatrical awards, winning three Laurence Olivier Awards at the 2005 ceremony (Best New Play, Best Actor for Griffiths, Best Director for Hytner).
The production returned to the National later in 2005 with Barrit as Hector, toured the UK and received its first West End run in January this year at the Wyndham’s, with Stephen Moore and Isla Blair. The original cast took the production to Broadway, where it swept the boards at the 2006 Tony Awards, and starred in a film version of the play, released earlier this year.
Appearing with Barrit in this second Wyndham’s run are Elizabeth Bell, Tim Delap, Daniel Fine, Andrew Hawley, Ryan Hawley, Thomas Howes, Danny Kirrane, Alton Letto, Sam Phillips and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. Director Paul Miller recreates Hytner’s original production.
The History Boys is booking until 26 April.
CB