The History Boys **** (2006, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Dominic Cooper, Russell Tovey) – Classic Movie Review 12,881

The brilliant 2006 British comedy drama film The History Boys is adapted by Alan Bennett from his hugely successful, award-winning play, and features its tremendous original cast.

The brilliant 2006 British comedy drama film The History Boys is adapted by Alan Bennett from his hugely successful play, which won the 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play and the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play. It is directed by Nicholas Hytner, who directed the Royal National Theatre stage production in London, and features the play’s tremendous original cast.

Alan Bennett’s crafty, provocative wit is dazzling. The performances are superb. The star of the show is undoubtedly Richard Griffiths, who gives a tour-de-force as Douglas ‘Hector’, the English and General Studies teacher. Frances de la Tour comes a close second as his friend Mrs Dorothy Lintott, and then Penelope Wilton as the Art and Art History teacher Mrs Hazel Bibby. Among the boys, it’s Dominic Cooper’s show as Stuart Dakin, with Russell Tovey a close second as Peter Rudge, and then James Corden as Tony Timms.

The school scenes are filmed in Watford in Watford Grammar School for Boys and Watford Grammar School for Girls. The boys wear the Watford Boys uniform but the story is set in a boys’ grammar school in Sheffield in 1983. Locations in Elland and Halifax, West Yorkshire, are used for Sheffield.

Griffiths and de la Tour received BAFTA nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

The play premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre.

After its Broadway triumph and an international tour with the original London cast, including Richard Griffiths, the first UK national tour of the production opened in 2005 starring Desmond Barrit. After its second UK tour, it opened at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre on 2 January 2007 until 14 April 2007. A further West End run opened at Wyndham’s Theatre on 20 December 2007 until 26 April 2008. Stephen Moore took over leading the third cast and Desmond Barrit was back heading the fourth cast.

The cast are Richard Griffiths as Douglas ‘Hector’, the English and General Studies teacher, Clive Merrison as Felix, the Headmaster and Geography teacher, Frances de la Tour as Mrs Dorothy Lintott, History teacher & Deputy Headteacher, Stephen Campbell Moore as Irwin, temporary history teacher, Penelope Wilton as Mrs Hazel Bibby, Art and Art History teacher, Adrian Scarborough as Mr Stanley Wilkes, Physical Education teacher, Georgia Taylor as Fiona, school secretary, Samuel Anderson as Christopher “Chris” Crowther, Samuel Barnett as David Posner, a Jewish boy who believes that he may be gay, Dominic Cooper as Stuart Dakin, James Corden as Anthony “Tony” Timms, Sacha Dhawan as Adi Akthar, Andrew Knott as James “Jimmy” Lockwood, Russell Tovey as Peter Rudge, and Jamie Parker as Donald “Donnie” Scripps

Alan Bennett (born 1934).

English actor, author, playwright, and screenwriter Alan Bennett (born 1934) turns 90 on 9 May 2024. His work includes the play The Madness of George III and subsequent film The Madness of King George, the series of monologues Talking Heads, the play and film of The History Boys, the play and 2015 film The Lady in the Van, and audio books, including his readings of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Winnie-the-Pooh.

His collaboration as writer and performer with Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe at the 1960 Edinburgh Festival brought him instant fame.

In 1988, Bennett declined the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and in 1996 declined a knighthood.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,881

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