THE WINSLOW BOY
In 1956 Terence Rattigan announced that he, along with Coward and Priestley, was effectively ‘sacked by the critics’. The 1960s had started earlier than expected at the Royal Court and John Osborne’s gritty drama, Look Back In Anger, had turned the tables on their middle-class theatrical craftsmanship. Rattigan never recovered. He eventually moved to Bermuda, pottered around in his Rolls-Royce, and lived off his not inconsiderable income (he was once the world’s highest-paid playwright).
But as anyone who has been to the theatre in the last few years will know, tastes have changed again. The revival of Rattigan’s The Browning Version at Chichester was heralded as a masterpiece of populism and poetry and there can be no doubt that the Old Vic’s new production of The Winslow Boy will be a similar crowdpleaser. In austere times, it would appear audiences prefer their theatre to be beautifully arranged and Peter McKintosh’s set doesn’t disappoint. The play takes place in the gracious Edwardian drawing room of the Winslow family, complete with housemaid and cut-glass decanters.
Based on true events, the play tells the story of a 14-year-old naval cadet, Ronnie, dismissed from Osborne Naval College for the alleged theft of a five-shilling postal order and his father’s campaign to clear his son’s name. Charlie Rowe doesn’t miss a beat as the petrified son. The part of Arthur Winslow, the upstanding patriarch, could have been written for Henry Goodman, who anchors the narrative perfectly.
Deborah Findlay is captivating as Grace, the boy’s mother, at once giddy with the attention (it was a cause célèbre) and mortified by the destruction it reeks on her family. Even when faced with near financial ruin, Arthur is determined to prove his son’s innocence. Bolstered by an epic performance from Peter Sullivan as the emotionally disconnected barrister, Sir Robert Morton, the pair are driven by a determination to ‘Let Right Be Done’.
Naomi Frederick avoids all possible clichés to deliver an outstanding performance as the suffragette elder sister, Catherine, and Jay Villiers is perfect as her spineless suitor, Desmond Curry. Rattigan’s plays often had real-life inspirations, he was an avid collector of newspaper cuttings on court cases and the play is just that; a courtroom drama. Lindsay Posner’s direction is masterful, light and as well-judged as the script itself. A perfect triumph for the little man and a flawless evening for the audience.
Until 25 May at The Old Vic, 103 The Cut, London SE1: 0844- 871 7628, www.oldvictheatre.com
But as anyone who has been to the theatre in the last few years will know, tastes have changed again. The revival of Rattigan’s The Browning Version at Chichester was heralded as a masterpiece of populism and poetry and there can be no doubt that the Old Vic’s new production of The Winslow Boy will be a similar crowdpleaser. In austere times, it would appear audiences prefer their theatre to be beautifully arranged and Peter McKintosh’s set doesn’t disappoint. The play takes place in the gracious Edwardian drawing room of the Winslow family, complete with housemaid and cut-glass decanters.
Based on true events, the play tells the story of a 14-year-old naval cadet, Ronnie, dismissed from Osborne Naval College for the alleged theft of a five-shilling postal order and his father’s campaign to clear his son’s name. Charlie Rowe doesn’t miss a beat as the petrified son. The part of Arthur Winslow, the upstanding patriarch, could have been written for Henry Goodman, who anchors the narrative perfectly.
Deborah Findlay is captivating as Grace, the boy’s mother, at once giddy with the attention (it was a cause célèbre) and mortified by the destruction it reeks on her family. Even when faced with near financial ruin, Arthur is determined to prove his son’s innocence. Bolstered by an epic performance from Peter Sullivan as the emotionally disconnected barrister, Sir Robert Morton, the pair are driven by a determination to ‘Let Right Be Done’.
Naomi Frederick avoids all possible clichés to deliver an outstanding performance as the suffragette elder sister, Catherine, and Jay Villiers is perfect as her spineless suitor, Desmond Curry. Rattigan’s plays often had real-life inspirations, he was an avid collector of newspaper cuttings on court cases and the play is just that; a courtroom drama. Lindsay Posner’s direction is masterful, light and as well-judged as the script itself. A perfect triumph for the little man and a flawless evening for the audience.
Until 25 May at The Old Vic, 103 The Cut, London SE1: 0844- 871 7628, www.oldvictheatre.com