“A triumph for the company with excellent performances”
“There is not a leak weak in this impressive production”
“An injustice has been done. I am going to set it right, and there is no sacrifice in the world I am not prepared to make in order to do so.”
(Arthur Winslow)
It is 1912, The Great War is only two years away, and the might and authority of the British Royal Navy seems unquestionable. But when a 14 year old cadet, Ronnie Winslow, is dismissed from the Service for theft, his family resolve to challenge his sentence and prove his innocence. What follows is a seemingly hopeless battle with the government of the time. Arthur Winslow resolves to “let right be done” and secure a pardon for his son, whatever the cost. It is a battle that will test the strength and loyalty of Arthur Winslow’s family and friends and overturn the very foundations of the state’s right to govern unchallenged.
Based on the true-life story of the Archer-Shee family, The Winslow Boy throws a revealing spotlight on the early 20th Century struggles in this country for individual freedom and portrays an era characterised by the repressed manners of a dying aristocracy. Rattigan’s pacifism and his often-overlooked socialist sympathies inform this challenging play, and with his much admired command of the dramatic form, he layers a gripping story with pathos, tension and a very British understated humour.
In this beautifully crafted story, the Next Stage cast is headed by Tim Evans, fresh from his tour de force as Rooster Byron in the company’s recent production of Jerusalem, and features Ben Armstrong as Ronnie Winslow.
Set in the round, The Winslow Boy offers a passionate, tense and gripping portrait of a nation and family in turmoil with itself.
Cast:
Rehearsal Photographs:
