Another year of Play Reading and everyone was ready.
Our Play in February was “The Winslow Boy” by Terence Rattigan
The action takes place in Arthur Winslow’s house in London, extending over a period of around two years just before World War I. The play is based on Arthur’s fight to clear his son's name after Cadet Ronnie Winslow is expelled from the Royal Naval College for allegedly stealing a five-shilling postal order. To clear the boy's name was imperative for the family's honour. The boy's life would have been wrecked by an indelible stain on his character which would have followed him throughout adulthood. The most respected barrister of the day was also persuaded of his innocence and insisted on the case coming to court. On the fourth day of the trial, the Solicitor General accepted Ronnie’s innocence.
The play is based on the facts of a well-known case, but the characters are from the author’s imagination. It is against the background of the lead up to the first world war and the suffragette movement.
The class enjoyed reading the play. While it was about clearing Ronnie’s name, his role was relatively small. Arthur and Caterine (Ronnie’s sister) perhaps play a greater role in their determination to clear his name. But it does take a toll. Arthur’s health fails. Catherine’s fiancé breaks their engagement. Overall, the “hero” of the play was probably around justice and right.
Joy Shirley
Our Play in February was “The Winslow Boy” by Terence Rattigan
The action takes place in Arthur Winslow’s house in London, extending over a period of around two years just before World War I. The play is based on Arthur’s fight to clear his son's name after Cadet Ronnie Winslow is expelled from the Royal Naval College for allegedly stealing a five-shilling postal order. To clear the boy's name was imperative for the family's honour. The boy's life would have been wrecked by an indelible stain on his character which would have followed him throughout adulthood. The most respected barrister of the day was also persuaded of his innocence and insisted on the case coming to court. On the fourth day of the trial, the Solicitor General accepted Ronnie’s innocence.
The play is based on the facts of a well-known case, but the characters are from the author’s imagination. It is against the background of the lead up to the first world war and the suffragette movement.
The class enjoyed reading the play. While it was about clearing Ronnie’s name, his role was relatively small. Arthur and Caterine (Ronnie’s sister) perhaps play a greater role in their determination to clear his name. But it does take a toll. Arthur’s health fails. Catherine’s fiancé breaks their engagement. Overall, the “hero” of the play was probably around justice and right.
Joy Shirley
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