The History Boys

English · Drama, Historical Fiction

Alan Bennett's play, The History Boys, explores the subject of education through the lens of staff-room rivalry and the chaos of adolescence. Set in a grammar school in northern England during the 1980s, eight boys prepare for the Oxbridge entrance exam under the guidance of three distinctly different teachers.

This unruly group of bright, humorous sixth-form boys is on a quest for sex, sport, and a place at university. The narrative features a maverick English teacher at odds with a young, shrewd supply teacher, a headmaster obsessed with results, and a history teacher who feels out of his depth. Adapted for radio by Richard Wortley from Nicholas Hytner's National Theatre production, it is performed by the original cast.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.