350 – The History Boys

What this episode covers

We’re ringing in another year on the pod with our 350TH EPISODE!! In 2006, Broadway imported the National Theatre production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, an ensemble piece following a group of college hopeful students and their philosophically opposed teachers. The Broadway production became a Tony record-making sensation. However, prior to the transfer, the entire cast completed a film version that would arrive later in the year after the Broadway fever had cooled. This episode, we talk about why this film marks a place in THOB history and the film’s complicated presentation of queerness and predation. We also talk about Richard Griffiths’ lauded performance, Fox Searchlight’s busy 2006, and our favorites from the past year of the show. Topics also include the mixed bag of 2006 contenders, the successful young male cast, and college admissions culture.