Nation’s favourite to bring history to the Grand

Alan Bennett’s The History Boys will launch a new national touring production at the Church Street venue in April, produced by Sell A Door Theatre, which brought the recent production of hit musical Avenue Q to the theatre this summer.

The comic masterpiece, perhaps best known through the 2006 film, has won more than 30 major theatre awards for its portrayal of a group of sixth form students in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university.

Last autumn, English Touring Theatre, as part of its 21st anniversary celebrations, carried out a survey which voted The History Boys as the nation’s favourite - and will support Sell A Door’s tour by offering 100 free pairs of tickets to the show.

Sell A Door Theatre’s artistic director David Hutchinson said: “We are delighted to be launching our 2015 season with the UK revival tour of the nation’s favourite play by one of Britain’s most cherished playwrights.

“Sell A Door prides itself on engaging young adults in live theatre, and our partnership with English Touring Theatre subsidising free tickets will allow hundreds of first time patrons to see this critically acclaimed play.”

The original National Theatre production in 2004 was directed by Nicholas Hytner, starred Richard Griffiths, and helped launch the careers of James Corden and Dominic Cooper, among others, who also went on to appear in the film two years later.

The History Boys tells the story of a maverick English teacher, at odds with a young, shrewd supply teacher, all working under a headmaster obsessed with results and league tables.

Staffroom rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence overflow, provoking insistent questions about history and how you teach it. Their A-Levels may be over, but their true education is only just beginning.

Widely hailed as on of the greatest theatrical events of the last decade, The History Boys is n hilariously funny and exceptionally moving play about the true purpose of education.

A spokesman for the Grand Theatre said: “We are thrilled that the Grand Theatre has been chosen to open the brand new UK tour of The History Boys. We hope you can join us for this fantastic production in April next year.”