The History Boys at Loft Theatre

Buy photos » History talk - Ben Burman as Dakin and Pete Gillam as Irwin. (s)

THE HISTORY Boys, Alan Bennett’s whimsical schoolroom comedy, take to the stage at Leamington's Loft Theatre.

Posner, Dakin, Timms, Lockwood, Rudge, Akthar, Scripps and Crowther are on a quest for sex, knowledge and a place to read History at Oxbridge.

Set in Sheffield in the 1980s, when a class achieves the best scores ever at Cutlers' Grammar School for boys, the petty headmaster, who craves the prestige like the parents, recruits young Oxford graduate Irwin to prepare them for the general entry exams for the world class universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Add the anarchic Mr Hector and feminist Mrs Lintott into the mix, and the course of preparation is not a straight-forward one.

Director Steve Smith said: “Something strikes a chord about a close knit - albeit sometimes hostile - community. The grammar school boys of Bennett’s play recall my own experience at school in the 1960s.”

Returning Loft alumni and new faces alike join forces in this Loft Theatre Company production, with Phil Reynolds as Mr Hector and Sue Moore as Mrs Lintott, while Pete Gillam and Ben Burman make their Loft debuts as Irwin and Dakin.

Premiering in 2004, The History Boys won a multitude of awards, leading to a successful 2006 film adaption.

The History Boys runs at The Loft from Wednesday (October 24) to November 3, with a performance each evening at 7.30pm (except Sunday). Tickets area available via www.loft-theatre.co.uk or by calling 0844 493 4938 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. The Box Office will also be open from 6.45pm to 8.30pm on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 October and on each performance evening. Special priced tickets for under-25s and NUS card holders tickets are also available. Visit website for details.

The play contains strong language.

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