Wonderfully acted, a fantastic production, but there’s a hugely uncomfortable element too…
The History Boys at the Theatre Royal Bath is unmissable theatre – wonderfully acted, a fantastic production and very nearly faultless. The thing is, that ‘very nearly’ is, well, pretty awful.
The History Boys by national treasure Alan Bennett tells the stories of a group of eight boys at Cutler’s Grammar School being prepared for their university entrance exams during the mid 1980s. The headteacher (Milo Twomey) is desperate for success to boost the school’s league table standing, while there’s a clash of styles between Hector (Simon Rouse), the popular and unconventional older tutor, and Irwin (Bill Milner), the newly recruited supply teacher brought in to sharpen things up.
Throughout this is a wonderfully produced and acted piece which brilliantly discusses the subjects of education, entitlement and the perception of knowledge and history. Along the way, there’s discussions about the role of testing – “One function of exams is to show how good you are at exams,” as well as the value of a education without the chance to question what is being learned.
In fact, in so many ways, it’s a faultless piece of theatre, perfectly paced, with a modern production that intertwines music of the 1980s with innovative set-pieces.
OK, so here it comes – the massive problem is the play’s sympathetic view of Hector, a serial child molester and yet loved by almost all and described as ‘a good man’ and ‘unlucky’. No, he’s a pedophile – one who is also as good at his job as he is at getting away with his crimes, but an abuser just the same.
The History Boys shows his pupils jokingly taking it in turns – and even being upset at not being chosen – to ride on back of Hector’s motorbike and having their testicles groped by the elderly teacher, while stories of the assaults are treated as amusing activities to be laughed at by the audience.
In fact, the only character to show genuine disgust at Hector’s action – the headteacher, who demands that Hector leaves the school – is very much shown as the villain of the piece.
Perhaps it’s because the children in the production are portrayed by actors clearly much older than the parts that they play that the abuse is given almost an acceptable angle. Sorry, this still doesn’t work for me. It’s the abuse of children that the audience is asked to find amusing.
Apparently when Alan Bennett was asked about the sympathetic portrayal of Hector, he revealed his own childhood experience of predatory adults, and commented, “It didn’t bother me. I knew it was wrong, but I knew I shouldn’t say anything about it because I knew they would get into trouble. But the notion that one would be scarred for life…”
Look, if I’m missing the point here, I apologise, but I don’t think I am. The History Boys is a great piece of theatre and most certainly worth the ticket price. It’s just, at the very least it needs more discussion about Hector the abuser and whether his attentions are the price that has to be paid to become part of the educated elite.
The History Boys appears at Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 31st August. To book tickets contact the Theatre Royal Box Office on 01225 448844 or visit theatreroyal.org.uk