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About The Film Production Of The History Boys Like their first film collaboration, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning feature The Madness of King George, director Nicholas Hytner’s and screenwriter Alan Bennett’s The History Boys began life at London’s National Theatre where Hytner is Artistic Director. The History Boys opened in May of 2004 and following a sold-out run, went on to win numerous prizes including Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Play (Alan Bennett), Best Director (Nicholas Hytner) and Best Actor (Richard Griffiths), as well as the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Play. After a hugely successful regional and world tour, in April 2005, The History Boys took Broadway by storm, selling out performances and sweeping a grand total of six Tony Awards including Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor (Richard Griffiths), and Best Supporting Actress (Frances de la Tour). As in the original National Theatre production, the film’s cast is led by Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, and Stephen Campbell Moore, with Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker and James Corden reprising their roles as the boys. New characters in Alan Bennett’s film adaptation are Penelope Wilton as the art teacher Mrs. Bibby, Adrian Scarborough as the Physical Education teacher Mr. Wilkes, and Georgia Taylor as Fiona, the Headmaster’s alluring secretary. Shot over a period of six weeks on location in England in Watford and Yorkshire, The History Boys is produced by Kevin Loader, Nicholas Hytner and Damian Jones, financed by DNA Films and BBC Films and distributed by Fox Searchlight. More: Synopsis of The History Boys |