Alan Bennett’s acclaimed play The History Boys is set to return to the West End for the first time in two decades, with Nicholas Hytner reviving his original National Theatre production at Theatre Royal Haymarket.
The production will run for a limited 16-week season from 10 April to 24 July 2027, with an official opening night on 19 April. Tickets go on general sale from 9am on 23 October, with 20,000 tickets available throughout the run priced at £25.
First seen at the National Theatre in 2004, The History Boys transferred to both the West End and Broadway, winning three Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards. The play is widely regarded as one of the defining works of 21st century British theatre.
Hytner, who originally directed the production, will once again take the helm, while Olivier Award-winning designer Bob Crowley returns to recreate the production’s celebrated design. Casting will be announced in January 2027.
Set in a Sheffield grammar school during the 1980s, The History Boys follows eight schoolboys as they prepare for university entrance examinations while navigating adolescence, sexuality and competing educational philosophies. Bennett’s witty and poignant script explores the purpose of education and the nature of history itself.
Producers Brian and Dayna Lee said: “When Nicholas Hytner’s production of The History Boys first arrived on the London stage, it was an era-defining moment in contemporary British theatre. It was a cultural phenomenon that enthralled audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and introduced a new generation to the power of theatre. It’s a privilege to bring Alan Bennett’s landmark production back to the West End for the first time in 20 years, with the incomparable Nicholas Hytner once again at the helm, as we continue our partnership that began with GIANT and continued more recently with The Standard of Living.
Bennett’s sharp, funny and deeply moving exploration of institutional culture, class and education feels as timely as ever. We can’t wait to share this remarkable production with a whole new generation.”
Nicholas Hytner commented: “More than 20 years after it opened at the National Theatre, it’s the right time to be bringing this great and much loved play back to the London stage. I can’t wait to take another look at it, and to introduce it to a new generation of theatre goers. My collaboration with Alan Bennett has been central to my creative life, and it’s a delight to be back in the theatre with him again.”
Alan Bennett said: “The History Boys is one of the happiest plays I’ve written. Or rather, it was one of the happiest of my plays to write.
It was also one of the quickest to set down, taking far less than my usual five years. So, something of a record for me.
The play is full of quotes and has itself become eminently quotable. A joy for any playwright.
I welcome its return under Nicholas Hytner.”
The production will be produced in the West End by Brian & Dayna Lee and Nicholas Hytner, with Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
