THE REVIEWS
Back to The History Boys home ...
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Nick Bowling's staging is actually more effective in certain key ways than the original National Theatre production, and to my mind more moving as well. ... one of the smartest shows I've seen all season long. ... You now have until Aug. 2 to see "The History Boys," and I strongly suggest that you hurry to do so, no matter whether you live in, near or remotely close to Chicago."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"More intimate, more enveloping, more stirring, and in places more emotionally sophisticated ... [a] simply astonishing level of authenticity in sound, look and mood. ... This terrific show—a triumphant revision, Chicago-style—deserves to be a huge hit for TimeLine" — Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"One of those Chicago productions that exults in the glory of the ensemble ... altogether remarkable ... in many ways better than the excellent Broadway edition ... Nabbing the rights to this play was a coup for TimeLine, but no theater could have done a finer job."
WBEZ EIGHT-FORTY-EIGHT "DUELING CRITICS"
"One of the most delightful things about this production is that there are eight young actors who just erupt across the stage as the History Boys of the title. Watching that much talent in that small a space is just thrilling ... They're a wonderful ensemble, they work tremendously together as a team. ... This TimeLine production is just a superior effort on a play that really deserves all the effort it can be given. ... See it, absolutely. Two thumbs up!"
DAILY HERALD
"TimeLine's production triumphs. ... [Director Nick] Bowling has assembled a stellar cast dominated by the "boys" of the title, an infinitely likable, absolutely convincing octet."
CHICAGO READER
"Director Nick Bowling’s imaginative staging bursts with spontaneity—crucial to a text as elegantly phrased as this one—and the whole cast is excellent. ... all the young men cast as the students fully inhabit their roles, conveying the boys’ rambunctious irreverence, eagerness to please, and hunger for knowledge and experience."
TIME OUT CHICAGO
"Bowling’s Chicago premiere, a high-water mark for both him and TimeLine, exudes charm from every pore, mainly due to the randy, fresh-faced octet of young male actors. (Alex Weisman as a shuffling misfit and Joel Gross as the gorgeous, give-a-fuck object of his affection make blazing impressions.)"
NEWCITY
"It is amazing how instantaneously you are transported back to school ... The way these young men interact is extraordinary."
EXAMINER.COM
"Timeline has a seamless ensemble in place, each individual character gleaming with wrenching clarity. ... In these students and their educators, Bennett captures the sweet and the bitter of adolescence in its last, pure flourish before reluctantly resigning oneself to adulthood."
WINDY CITY TIMES
"Flamboyantly theatrical, complex and intellectually rich ... It doesn't disappoint."
CHICAGO FREE PRESS
"The latest TimeLine triumph, Nick Bowling’s Chicago premiere perfectly mirrors every mood and moment in Bennett’s unsettling group portrait ... enthrallingly delivered by a super cast of fiery young actors and exemplary pros."
CENTERSTAGECHICAGO.COM
"An absolute must-see for so many reasons ... It outshines the Broadway version because of its intimate staging, its truthful, layered characterizations and attention to the most minute details. ... it is Bowling's superbly cast students who work both individually and as an ensemble, breathing life into these extraordinary, unforgettable history boys."
CHICAGOCRITIC.COM
"A stunningly entertaining work ... an ensemble tour de force ... The History Boys is a major triumph for Nick Bowling and TimeLine Theatre. Their bold production is flawless, fluid and flowing. The polish of the acting is amazing. ... This is grand theatre that bridges the gap between an engaging story with empathetic characters and a work of intellectual ideas and philosophical dilemmas. That combination yields an exciting and deeply moving night at the theatre."
STEADSTYLECHICAGO.COM
"A completely triumphant and resplendent theatrical treasure ... we are riveted to the characters and story with complete abandon. ... Playwright Alan Bennett has written one of those scripts filled with so many jewels that we are almost blinded by its brilliance ... the pithy, profound, playful and poignant drama unfolds with fully realized characters and incomparable dialogue. ... The ensemble is as good as it gets. ... [As Hector, Donald] Brearley renders one of those rare performances that is so real, it makes the notion of a script vanish."
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
"It’s difficult to imagine a more accomplished production of the play at any
level ... TimeLine culled eight enormously talented young men out of 200 actors who
auditioned for the roles. The choices couldn’t have been better. The young
men fit their roles perfectly."
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