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The History Boys is set in a school.” Alan Bennett’s own stark one-liner in his introductory
National Theatre pro- gramme essay puts it in a nutshell.
original cast, a schedule and the most reasonable possi- ble budget before inviting offers from financiers.
“ some concern.
“We would not have been interested in making as a film on any other basis; the only film we were pre- pared to make was the one to make. How much did we
After cinematographer
Andrew Dunn BSC had signed up for the film version of Bennett’s huge stage hit – a winner with audiences and critics alike – he took himself off to see the acclaimed, multi-Olivier Award-winning play which was then coming to the end of its blockbusting premiere run earlier this year.
Now I happen to think it has turned into a better film than a play. In a film, you have close-ups; in a theatre, not. Here, the audience is allowed more easily into the hearts, souls and minds of the char- acters. Look, I’m a filmmaker so I’m obviously biased,” laughed Dunn.
Set, as the film’s opening caption will state, in “Yorkshire, 1983”, The History Boys centres on a group of sixth form grammar school boys tack- ling Oxbridge entrance exams. The main cast brings back all the key young-and-older players from the stage production, including Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour and Stephen Campbell Moore.
Hytner, director of the original play as well as day-to-day Director of the NT, said that he and Bennett began to muse on a film version “quite soon after it opened. The massive enthusi- asm of the response encouraged us to think about a film. Alan and I then quickly decided we would produce a non-negotiable screenplay with the
we wanted
have to re-design it for the big screen? In all the obvious ways. It’s shot on location and it’s re-imagined for film, which is a more literal medium than the theatre (though by no means an entire- ly literal one).”
Dunn, who was about to be re-unit-
At which point, they brought in producer Kevin Loader (Enduring Love, The Mother, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin). He explained: “Part of what they wanted to know at start was whether it could be done
very cheaply. Nick
was always extremely clear that he wanted the people from the original stage produc- tion and while they were obviously talented they weren’t necessarily very film bankable.
“Therefore,” added Loader, who is producing the film with Damian Jones (Millions, Welcome
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ed with director Nicholas Hytner after
earlier collaborations on The Madness
Of King George and The Crucible (“the
best experiences I’ve ever had,” noted
Dunn), watched with interest and
He recalled: “While you could see Madness somehow bursting a little at the seams on stage to get out and become a film, with The History Boys, there wasn’t immediately that same feeling perhaps because of the wordi- ness and the main settings – just a couple of classrooms and the head- master’s study.
“So my main concern was how to open it out and make it more visual.
The History Boys, Alan Bennett’s award-winning stage play, to the big screen
Photo main: Richard Griffiths as Hector in The History Boys; above: Director Nick Hytner with writer Alan Bennett; inset: the original programme of the National Theatre production of The History Boys
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EDUCATION, EDUC
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