Shock tactics

Until last week I was the only person on the planet not to have seen The History Boys. I now rejoin the human race in a state of wonder. Such a whopping hit, such flimsy materials. The setting happens to be familiar to me, a state school in the 1980s where a group of smart alecs are preparing to take Oxbridge. All Alan Bennett’s failings and strengths are on view here. The perfunctory storyline is made up of a few broad gestures culminating in a not-terribly-surprising surprise ending. The cast consists of straight characters who are stereotypes and gay characters who are stereotypes with knobs on. The rest is rhetoric, atmosphere and the occasional excellent joke.

‘Archaeology is popular because it’s the nearest history gets to shopping.’ Bennett relies heavily on shock tactics to get laughs. A dignified high-status male says ‘f***’, a facile ploy which is repeated several times, with, of course, diminishing results.