The History Boys returns to the West End

Producers Brian & Dayna Lee and Nicholas Hytner have today announced that the original, multi-award-winning production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys will return to London’s West End next year for the first time in 20 years.

Considered one of the best plays of the 21st Century, The History Boys received its World Premiere at the National Theatre in 2004 before transferring to the West End and Broadway, winning three Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards and launching the careers of its young cast. Originally directed by multi-award winner Nicholas Hytner (The Standard of Living, One Man, Two Guvnors, GIANT) and designed by Olivier Award winner Bob Crowley (The Standard of Living, GIANT, The Inheritance), the two will reunite to bring this seminal production to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a 16 week engagement from Saturday 10 April - Sunday 24 July with opening night on Monday 19 April. Casting for the production will be announced in January 2027.

Set against a backdrop of 1980s Britain, Alan Bennett’s history-making play tracks the course of eight schoolboys at an all-boys Grammar School in Sheffield, as they navigate sex, school politics and their teachers’ intellectual battle of wills. Poignant, subversive and deeply funny, The History Boys explores sexuality, adolescence and the nature of history, challenging the purpose of education whilst reflecting the changing face of England.

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."

Tickets for The History Boys will go on general sale from 9am on Friday 23 October, with 20,000 tickets priced at £25 available throughout the run.