National theatre lyttleton london / the history boys

Where: South Bank, SE1 9PX

What: Nicholas Hytner directs Alan Bennett's new play about staff room rivalry, the anarchy of adolescence and the purpose of education.

Set in a Yorkshire boys grammar school in the 1980's, an unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form boys in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university, combine with a maverick English teacher at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher, a headmaster obsessed with results and a history teacher who thinks he's a fool.

"Alan Bennett's most exhilarating play for quite some time"according to The Times (his previous plays at the National Theatre include The Madness Of George III and Single Spies, so this is high praise).

Nearest underground station: Waterloo

Show times: Monday - Saturday 19:45, plus Wednesday & Saturday 14:30, but some days are missed. Contact the box office for details.

Running time: 3 hours

Ticket prices (face value): £10.00 - £35.00

Theatre booking line: 020 7452 3000

Where to: buy london theatre tickets