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Life and Exam of the History Boys

The brilliant thing about Alan Bennett's The History Boys is not what I would have expected from reading the festival brochure. I almost missed this charming modern classic if it's not Jessica who suggested we should talk in our next radio programme about the first presentation by The National Theatre of Britain in Hong Kong ever.

I thought it's because of my own immersion in the set-up of the School of Creativity and its challenges of mapping the desirable path that gave me the resonance from the tension between Hector and Irwin, the two emblematic teachers in the play. The former humanistic and affectionate, and the latter pragmatic yet inspiring. In fact, most of my (some very demanding) friends not in the field felt the same profound and intriguing feeling and reflections on the tension between education and self-fulfillment.

The particularity and non-stereotypical details of the characters gave them heart and blood, of course, thanks to the witty script which shares quite some authentic experiences of Bennett himself during those old days when he was put to prepare for the Cambridge. Also the excellence of the actualization by a dozen of good performers, including the naasty uncle (in Harry Potter), Richard Griffiths. The language is not easy for an realistic style, incorporating poems, condensed connotations, ironies and references, lines from classic films, historical facts, songs, etc. But the outcome is still natural and affecting. When compared with David Mamet's Orleana, the distinctive styles of both are immediately standing out.

One regret is about the use of video though it did fill out the (possibly interrupting) scene changes and gave the piece a complete flow with nice rhythm. But the possibilities of its role are limited by this very motivation to fill gaps.

Wait for the film version! I was told 8 pages of waiting list are still intact.

Credit: photo by Ivan Kyncl (from the National Theatre of Britain)

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