History Boys Headed for West End Run, Says Hytner

National Theatre Artistic Director Nicholas Hytner announced at a London news conference today that his production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys is finally headed to the West End. No casting or further details are available yet.

"Its success continues to astonish me," Hytner said of the play, which was a total sell-out from the moment it opened at the National's Lyttelton Theatre in May 2004. The production then went on to a national tour and returned to the company's repertory in September 2005. It is currently running both on Broadway in a production that closes October 1 after winning six Tony Awards, including Best Play and on a new U.K. national tour that ends November 25. The film version, also directed by Hytner and featuring the cast currently appearing on Broadway, including Tony winner Richard Griffiths, is due to receive its royal world premiere on October 2.

A West End run of The History Boys is dependent on the availability of a suitable theater, "but all being well, we hope it will play there," said Hytner. The West End run would be produced by the National Theatre itself in partnership with National Angels Ltd., a company set up by a group of National supporters that is intended to give the theater a bigger share of commercial profits. The National's Executive Producer Nick Starr said it was "a myth" that the National was prohibited for taking such commercial risks. National Angels Ltd. previously partnered with producer Sonia Friedman on transferring Jumpers to the West End.

According to Hytner, the Broadway run of The History Boys is expected to yield a return of some £500,000 approximately $938,000 to the National Theatre coffers; as a co-producer of the film, he further revealed that he had negotiated a deal for the National to receive a percentage of the film's profits in the order of "triple what we are entitled to."