It is hard to believe that just 5 weeks ago the Exeter University Theatre Company (EUTCo) started rehearsing for their performance of The History Boys.Â
The hugely popular production is known as âThe Nations Favourite Playâ, and has taken Exeter by absolute storm, with EUTCo putting on a truly amazing performance that we still cannot stop thinking about. Director, third year Drama student Katie Goodsell, has previously directed âCelebrationâ, and assistant directed âAmadeusâ last year, but now takes on one of Alan Bennettâs most famous plays.
The award-winning play is set in the 1980s in a boysâ grammar school, and follows a class of 8 Oxbridge-aspiring History students. A young (and somewhat geeky) teacher, Mr Irwin (Ieuan Coombs), has been appointed with the task of getting the boys up to scratch, and does so ruthlessly. Mr. Hector (Aidan Cheng), on the other hand, cares little for prepping his students for Oxbridge, and prefers instead to have them quoting literature, and acting out dramatic sequences from films, or books. Yet Mr. Hector is soon caught sexually fondling the boys on the back of his motorbike, and his position at the school is threatened. Dakin (Andrew Horton), a handsome student who catches the eye of fellow classmate Posner (Eoin McAndrew), soon becomes enamoured with Irwin, who finally agrees to go out for a drink with him.
The chemistry amongst the cast was undeniable, making the audience have as good a time as the actors themselves. Each actor was totally compelling in every single role, something aimed for by Goodsell, who commented on how wonderful the cast were to work with. It is certainly rare to find no weak links whatsoever in a professional performance, let alone a University society.
The boys managed to pull off the Sheffield accent with ease, and each one brought a different dimension to the play, be it shyness, cheekiness or compassion. Aidan Chengâs portrayal of the aging Mr. Hector was particularly engaging; such convincing body language and facial expressions meant that you couldnât help but feel a mixture of disgust and sympathy for him. The showâs only female star, Anya Williams, was also exceedingly strong as Mrs. Lintott in her fight to overcome prejudice against women.Â
The simple set was designed to look like a classroom, but with the addition of classic 80s posters. An energetic 80s soundtrack kept the energy on set alive, and really captured the feel of the play, with old-school numbers such as Pink Floydâs âAnother Brick in the Wallâ. Special mention also goes to Eoin McAndrew (Posner), who showed off his remarkable singing voice in various musical interludes.
A huge fan of the writer, what really drew Goodsell to the play was the fact that Bennett writes about real life. The clever script had us laughing throughout, particularly the challenging French-speaking sequence, which was remarkably executed. The audience was laughing practically throughout the show, but moments of intensity and seriousness were not lost. In all, performances were consistently raw, genuine and more than anything, completely believable.Â
We wish we could do the play justice in this review, but more than anything we would like to say congratulations and thank you to the cast and crew for providing such captivating entertainment in just two short hours!
Photo credits:Â Naomi Golding