Past productions

THE WINSLOW BOY

21 – 30 March 2024

By Terence Rattigan

Cadet Ronnie Winslow is expelled from the Royal Naval College accused of stealing a 5 shilling postal order. His father, Arthur, refusing to believe his guilt and dissatisfied with the manner in which the investigation was conducted, demands a new inquiry and fights tirelessly for his son’s honour. 

To clear the boy’s name was imperative for the family’s honour – had they not done so, they would have been shunned by their peers and society. Similarly, the boy’s life would have been wrecked by an indelible stain on his character which would have followed him throughout adulthood. 

The play is based on a true story and explores the devastating effects on Ronnie’s family of the long fight for justice as money, promotion and romance are sacrificed in the determination to win at all costs.


Cast

Ronnie Winslow | Jacob Conway
Violet | Mary-Rose Goodliffe
Grace Winslow | Janet Edden
Arthur Winslow | Peter Damesick
Catherine Winslow | Harriet Datta
Dickie Winslow | Dan Horton
John Watherstone | Christopher Spear
Desmond Curry | Ian Brown
Miss Barnes | Catherine Elliott
Sir Robert Morton | Chris Hannigan

Directed by Michael Cooke

Photography by Keith Orton


Review | March 2024 | Theo Spring

Set between the two World Wars this production of Terence Rattigan’s famous play epitomised the Edwardian era though its story, the set, the costumes and, with huge impact, through its cast. 

Young Ronnie Winslow is accused of stealing and cashing a five shilling postal order and is sacked from the navel college which he attends, coming back to the family home in dread of telling them, but most of all, his father. Based on a true story the play follows the determination of that father to prove his son innocent, which has huge repercussions on the rest of the family.

To Peter Damesick fell the role of that father, Arthur, and his masterful delivery was nothing short of superb. Using Rattigan-s script to full advantage he portrayed a mix of authority, an underlying affection and a quietly emotional decision to believe Ronnie-s effusively stated denial of the theft and to hire the best legal defence to prove his boy-s innocence.

Equally strong of character is Ronnie-s older sister Catherine. A feminist interested in politics, she is not afraid to speak up and works for the Women-s Suffrage Association. Here Harriet Datta ably blended the requirements of her character to move between comforting sister, dutiful daughter and fiancé to John Watherstone. Scripted to deliver much of the way the world was changing, her scene between herself and the triumphant barrister, Sir Robert Morton was telling. A feisty lady wrapped in a degree of softness. 

Besides Ronnie, there is an older son in the Winslow family. Dickie is full of life and living. Ebulliently played by Dan Horton, Dickie is a firm believer that everything will turn out right and he pooh-poohed the seriousness of Ronnie-s alledged theft. His determination to keep up with the latest music brings ire from his father and, partnered by Catherine, his display of the Bunny Hop – the dance all the rage, brought audience laughter.

Although initially seeming to be the underling in the marriage, Janet Edden as Mrs Grace Winslow showed her mettle at times, worrying that her husband will not give up his fight, whatever the consequences. In a motherly way, she fussed effusively over Ronnie on his unexpected return from the college and plotted happily with Catherine when her suitor came to speak to Arthur about the couple-s marriage plans. A gentle soul, she was not afraid to speak up when one of her brood was under scrutiny. 

The final Winslow is, of course, Ronnie, with Jacob Conway in the title role. Fluctuating between fear and fearlessness Conway laid down the enormousness of the problem, all the while fiercely expressing Ronnie-s innocence. This was done none better than in the duologue with Sir Robert Morton who criticized his story, evoking a barrage of shouted denials from Ronnie. Playing older than Ronnie-s scripted age, Conway made us forget that discrepancy as the play evolved.

An Edwardian household of this nature had, of course, to have a Parlour Maid and Mary-Rose Goodliffe as Violet provided a mix between the courteousness of her station and her family affiliation due to long service and, it transpired, an interesting beginning in the post. Light, funny and devoted to the family, Violet truly came into her own when describing the happy outcome of the trial when joy abounded all around.

Three other men influence the story. Desmond Curry is deeply in love with Catherine and here Ian Brown clearly made this obvious in his few scenes on stage with a visible tussle of scruples as he divulged private information about Sir Robert for whom he worked. The two opposing faces required of Catherine-s fiancé, John Watherstone were ably divulged by Chris Spear in the role. Affectionate, dutiful to her father to begin but showing weakness as the trial threatened his own family name, the divide was well demonstrated.

The third man, of course, is Sir Robert Morton. A slightly bombastic highly sought-after barrister. Chris Hannigan made him loud, tough, gentle and joyous in turns with, once again that aforementioned scene with Catherine, being especially poignant. 

Due to the growing notoriety in the case, Arthur Winslow agrees to a newspaper interview with journalist Miss Barnes and here Rattigan pays a certain amount of lip service to Edwardian thinking, in complete contrast to his writing for Catherine. Although Miss Barnes starts off her interview with good intensions, she is soon seduced by the fabric of the curtains in the Winslow Drawing Room and enters happily on a discourse with Mrs Winslow about their origins. It is a small but important part showing the contrast of how women were seen, with Catherine Elliott making the most of this small role. 

For the Edwardian vibe of the play to be firmly established, the set must play its own part and here, designed by Keith Orton, it splendidly set the scene. Costumes were elegant and of the era with a particular mention for Catherine Winslow-s superb hat and Mrs Winslow-s beautifully designed costume to take her to hear the verdict. Ronnie-s naval uniform showed as being a bit damp from his sojourn in the garden in the rain, but as the ‘rain- hardly showed on the dark fabric, a head of very wet hair would have been more dramatic and would have been easily dried. 

To say this was a production of excellence would be to rather undersell it and the honours must fall to Director Michael Cooke who, blessed by a very talented cast, took his audiences back in time with a sustained and absorbing believability for which he deserves huge credit.