New Boy
Encyclopedia
New Boy is a novel, published in 1996, written by British novelist William Sutcliffe
.
The book is largely autobiographical, mixing fact and fiction. It tells the story of the arrival of a new boy, Barry, in the sixth form of an English private school.
The school is never named in the novel, but a host of clues (most tellingly the school motto
) reveals the school to be Sutcliffe's alma mater
, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
, a fact that was picked up at the time by the British
broadsheet
press.
which subsequently led to a West End production at the Trafalgar Studios
in London in March and April 2009, starring Nicholas Hoult
as Mark. It is currently running at the Newspace Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa directed by British director Russell Labey and starring Stephen Jubber as Barry.
http://www.mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=3741
William Sutcliffe
William Sutcliffe is a British novelist.An alumnus of Haberdashers' Aske's School, Sutcliffe started his career with a novel about school life entitled New Boy , which was followed by his best-known work so far, Are You Experienced? , a pre-university gap year novel, in which a group of young...
.
The book is largely autobiographical, mixing fact and fiction. It tells the story of the arrival of a new boy, Barry, in the sixth form of an English private school.
The school is never named in the novel, but a host of clues (most tellingly the school motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
) reveals the school to be Sutcliffe's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School is a British independent school for boys aged 4–19. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and of the Haileybury Group....
, a fact that was picked up at the time by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
press.
Plot summary
The book is set in 1986 and is narrated by a Jewish student at the school, Mark, who does not have much success with girls. He finds himself drawn to Barry, who is incredibly handsome. The two become friends, and the book tells of the course of just over a year during which Barry discovers sex with girls and has an affair with a teacher. Mark struggles with his attraction to Barry, but has a relationship with Barry's sister, Louise. Barry, meanwhile, realises that he is, in fact, gay, and enters into a relationship with Mark's brother, Dan, which Mark is unaware of. The four all go on holiday together, and Dan and Barry tell Mark of their relationship. He reacts badly, and accuses them of not being normal. This leads to Barry storming off and Louise dumping Mark. Mark and Barry do have a rapprochement of sorts at the end of the book, but their friendship is over. Mark ends the book contending that he can't be homophobic, because he made it up with his brother.Adaptations
The book was adapted for the stage by Russell Labey, and performed at the 2000 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It staged a major revival in April 2008 at the Tabard TheatreTabard Theatre
The Tabard Theatre is an intimate, 80 seat theatre located in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow. Close to Turnham Green Underground station, it is situated above the Tabard public house which was built in 1880 by the architect Norman Shaw for the Bedford Park Estate...
which subsequently led to a West End production at the Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios, formerly The Whitehall Theatre until 2004, is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London....
in London in March and April 2009, starring Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor, best known for playing Marcus Brewer in the 2002 film About a Boy, Tony Stonem in the E4, BAFTA-winning television series Skins, and Beast in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class.-Early life:Hoult was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the third of four...
as Mark. It is currently running at the Newspace Theatre in Cape Town, South Africa directed by British director Russell Labey and starring Stephen Jubber as Barry.