History. It’s just one bloody thing after another, right?
An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in a British boarding school are, as such boys will be, in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at a good university – generally in that order.
In all their efforts, they are helped and hindered, enlightened and bemused, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes undefined ways, and by a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling.
In The History Boys, Alan Bennett raises – with gentle wit and pitch-perfect command of character – not only universal questions about the nature of history and how it is taught but also questions about the purpose of education today.
The History Boys is produced, directed and acted by University of Essex Theatre Arts Society Members.
