The History Boys

Director: Ashkan Kheilnejad

Playwright: Alan Bennett

Translator: Mohsen Abollhasani

Overview

‘The History Boys’ premiered at the Royal National Theatre in 2004, garnering critical acclaim for its incisive examination of education, sexuality, and identity. It received numerous prestigious awards, including the Olivier, Tony, and Evening Standard Awards.
Set in a British school, the play follows a group of students preparing for entrance exams to Oxford and Cambridge, exploring the intense pressures of academic achievement and the complexities of their sexual identities. Through Hector's encouragement of intellectual curiosity and Irwin's pragmatic approach to exam preparation, the boys embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery within the confines of a flawed educational system.

Director’s Note

Can theater liberate the body from its ideological functions?
In our approach to ‘The History Boys’, we focused on how the body can express and transform itself. We explored the body’s hidden potential, focusing on what is often repressed or overlooked. To move beyond the ordinary body, we incorporated Butoh dance practices. These exercises help actors move past simply acting out the text, allowing them to fully embrace physicality and create an experiential presence. This approach, shaped by actor dramaturgy, aligns our performance more closely with the spirit of Alan Bennett's work.

We believe that educational systems, such as schools, shape not only our minds, gender, and dreams, but also inhibit our bodies, stripping them of individuality within collective norms. Our method resists this conditioning, creating space for bodies to reclaim their autonomy. This transformation invites the audience to experience ‘The History Boys’ through a new lens, prompting them to question the societal boundaries imposed on their own bodies and inspiring a deeper emotional engagement with the performance.

Awards

Venues & Dates

Cast

Impact

Production