THE HISTORY BOYS - Playlovers

As a frequent theatregoer, I believe myself to have witnessed both the best and the worst that Perth’s community theatre has to offer. Attending a community theatre play is often, to quote a character from The History Boys, “something of a lottery”...you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get! This year, it seems, I must have pleased the theatre gods, for although there has been the occasional mild farce and bland offering, I have also been lucky enough to witness some great productions of quality plays. The American Plan, which recently played at Melville, was a fine example of such an ambitious offering...The History Boys, which opened at Playlovers on the weekend, is another. My first expression of praise must be aimed at Alan Bennett’s fine script. Bursting with wit, humour and well-crafted characters, it deals with six English schoolboys endeavouring to gain acceptance into Oxford and Cambridge universities, and the teachers who, in different ways, both help and hinder them in the struggle. The cast of “teachers” were uniformly excellent. Most notable were Beverley Lawrence as the wry, yet endearing, Miss Lintott, who landed joke after joke and really took advantage of her status as the only woman onstage; and Jordan Sibley as the young Irwin, faced with teaching a group of students not much younger than himself, whose reserve and subtle detail created a masterful performance of depth and intrigue. Ken Gasmier was firm and effective as the Headmaster, while Tom Rees gave a warm and engaging portrayal of the somewhat eccentric Hector. The "history boys" of the play's title, while as a whole less experienced than the four actors playing their mentors, still had their share of rising stars. Christian Dalton exuded considerable charisma as Dakin, the popular boy for whom the heartbreakingly innocent Posner (Tim Burrows) pines. Samuel Moscou gave able comic support as the ever-underestimated Rudge, who is not really as 'slow' as he first appears to be! There was an unfortunate tendency amongst some of the younger cast members to rush over Alan Bennett's words, without fully imparting their true meaning or exploring beyond the surface, a sad side-effect of tackling such an exceedingly dialogue-heavy pieace. I would've also liked to see a few more reactions and a stronger sense of comraderie in the initial classroom scenes (in all my years I've never seen a group of schoolboys exit a room so quietly at lesson's end!); this is only a minor complaint, however, somewhat rectified by the immense increase of energy in Act Two on the night I saw it. Beverley Jackson-Hooper's direction was simple, but clear and effective. In the one-on-one scenes particularly, onstage movement was used to establish chemistry and tension quite successfully. With the help of the lighting design, transitions from scenes into presentational monologue were handled with ease. Lighting cues were spot-on; an actor never stepped into a dark spot! Also worthy of mention is the set, which was practical, well-constructed and suited to the era, location and specific needs of the production. Bravo! All in all, a strong effort from Playlovers, and one well worth seeing as I’m certain the areas I found necessary to criticize will be tightened and improved upon throughout the run. Go see it! This has been a Pru-Review! true_blue_pru@live.com