BENNETT HAS MUCH TO SAY ABOUT CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION
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Teacher straining
Steve Cramer discusses the Scottish premiere of THE HISTORY BOYS, Alan Bennett’s acclaimed exploration of stresses between teachers.
hose who can teach. Those who can't just have
to go out and do what they‘ve been taught.
That. at least. is the angle from which the teaching profession views the infamous proverb. And why wouldn‘t they‘.’ However tough. ill resourced and poorly paid the profession is. there are undeniable rewards to the care. nurture and education of the young. However old you are. you might remember with great fondness the best of your teachers. I know I do. Could you say that of the dentists. publicans or even neighbours of the same era of your life‘.’
But there are other sides to teaching. In his play of
the 70s. The National Health. Peter i Iichols described both teaching and the medical profession as ‘socially acceptable sublimations‘: their practitioners rechanneling certain energies into their caring professions. lt‘s notable. for example. how many teachers and academics are childless. I've asked these folk about this sometimes. and received a reply which gestures to the students under their care as being a multiplicity of children greater than any nuclear
family‘s. Fair enough. as sublimations go. but what of
those in the profession who might conceal less socially acceptable impulses“?
It‘s a subject that Alan Bennett has explored to considerable acclaim in 2004‘s The History Boys. which picked up a bundle of awards after its appearance at the English National Theatre. most notably a brace of accolades from last February‘s Evening Standard awards. As the original director. Nicholas Hynter. shoots the film. and Broadway prepares for its New York debut. Scottish audiences will get their first look at Bennett‘s most successful play since The Madness of George III with its appearance at the Theatre Royal.
Set in a grammar school in the 80s. it focuses on a clash between two teachers. One is a popular but eccentric old character who encourages the boys to play games and rebel against the stuffed shirts. the other a more bureaucratic professional who teaches a simple but rather pragmatic method of passing exams. You. with the boys they teach. might think you know which you prefer. but it emerges that the lovcable old
uncle is also partial to a bit of boy fondling. Those of
us who think that the Robin Williams character in Dead Poets ' .S'oeiety was an appallineg unprofessional Miss Jean Brodie in the making. and should have been tired for sentimental charismatic non—teaching early in the film. have. perhaps. finally got the narrative we wanted. But no. it‘s yet more complex than this.
Bennett's message on teaching. and his particular distaste for poor history teaching (he read history as an undergraduate before his Beyond the Fringe days) has much to say about the state of contemporary education. In a recent (very rare) interview. he condemned the current government educational policy. In his usual self-effacing chinth and very English suburban style. Bennett goes into far more complex territory than the condemnation of either moral decrepitude on the one hand or faceless intellectual game playing on the other among his teachers. and indeed. among the boys they teach.
In doing so. he returns to familiar territory. The world of education has provided the background for two of his best plays. Forty Years ()1: and the splendidly titled Me. I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf. If the linglish reviews are anything to judge by. expect this to be his hat trick.
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until Sat 19 Nov.
Theatre
Hit
THE BEST THEATRE & DANCE
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* Give Up! Start Over! In the Darkest of Times I Look to Richard Nixon for Hope The superb TEAM, Fringe First winners at this year’s Festival. are back, with this incisive and politically astute piece of physical theatre. A genuine must-see for all who are interested in the new generation of politicised theatre practitioners. The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 7 8-Sat 19 Nov.
* The History Boys Alan Bennett’s 2004 tragi-comedy is a proven performer with West End audiences, having scooped the pool come award time. The Scottish debut of the tale of classroom rivalries and hidden passions among the students and teachers of an 808 grammar school should impress. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until Sat 79 Nov.
* I Was a Beautiful Day This haunting new play by Iain F MacLeod is likely to stay with you long after you see it. Full of quirky. engaging language, this three-hander set in a mental institution is about trauma, recovery and the place we call home. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 79 Nov.
* Ubu the King David Greig's new adaptation of Jarry’s classic is as childish and scatological as it is entertaining. A quite different take on the piece, this version lends a pathos to the monstrous king killer. Dundee Rep, 16-26 Nov. * A Man for All Seasons Robert Bolt’s drama about the life and death of Thomas More has much to say about politics and principle. With Martin Shaw leading, this production can also boast a major name for its massive lead role. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 21 —Sat 26 Nov.
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