It’s not often that you go to a student production and forget that it’s not professional. And yet as I watched the Oxford Playhouse’s production of “History Boys” I found myself thinking that the group of schoolboys and schoolmasters on stage were professional actors, if not the characters themselves. It’s hardly surprising that this cast boasts the crème de la crème of Oxford’s thespy talent when you learn that over 100 boys auditioned for the eleven male parts.
Alan Bennett’s play, set in 1980s Sheffield, tells the story of a group of Oxbridge hopefuls undergoing an application process which involves fewer UCAS forms and more gay propositions than most nowadays.
The play’s unlikely hero is Hector, an enigmatic teacher who believes exams to be the ‘enemy of education’. He is a source of profound inspiration to the boys, but has rather too strong a penchant for cupping their balls on his motorbike rides home. Benedict Morrison is flawless, portraying both Hector’s endearing and repellent aspects.
Hector’s younger counterpart, Urwin, is brought to life by Harley Viveash, who also manages to convey the nuances of his character’s complex personality through his witty rapport with the boys, who unfailingly end their interpolations with a condescending ‘sir’.
The boys, Hector’s ‘ignorant little tarts’, are not only brilliant as an ensemble but also individually. Luke Rollason (Posner), Tommy Siman (Dakin) and Nathan Ellis (Scripps) all provide strong performances in their lead roles. But even the smaller roles are delivered expertly.
A special mention must go to Frazer Hembrow who makes a superbly convincing Rudge, a particularly ignorant little tart, who gets into Christchurch by merit of the fact that he is ‘clearly what the college rugby team needs’. I think we all know someone like that.
The play is punctuated by Ellis’ musical interludes on the piano, which unfortunately sometimes drown out the voices of his co-stars. At the end the boys all come together to give a touching a capella rendition of ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ with some excellent harmonies. This cast is certainly not short of talent.
What the 2006 film fails to convey at times is Bennett’s wonderful and distinctive humour. The play, however, is brilliantly comic. As Posner reads out the definition of ‘otiose’ from the dictionary, a perfectly timed ball of crumpled paper hits his head.
The play pivots from uproarious highs – the boys simulating a scene at a brothel as part of their French lesson – to poignant lows – Hector breaking down in heart-wrenching sobs in front of his pupils. The director, James Lorenz paces the play brilliantly to show the balance between humour and pathos and to demonstrate the ups and downs in the ‘long nothingness of life’.
If you can, grab a ticket to Saturday’s matinée, the only performance not yet sold out, because this play is a first week must-see!
