The Stage

The Winslow Boy

Published Monday 18 May 2009 at 10:10 by John Thaxter

This stylish, hugely enjoyable revival won a standing ovation on press night. Stephen Unwin rediscovers Rattigan’s drama about a family fight for justice, as a wry, at times even hilarious comedy with a cutting edge.

The plot springs from the real-life case of a boy expelled from the Royal Naval College for allegedly stealing a postal-order. Chief alchemist in the play’s transformation is Timothy West as the paterfamilias, whose treasurable performance strikes unexpected chords of ironic wit with almost every line. He plays the grumpy but clear-eyed Winslow, a retired banker struggling to prove his son’s innocence and destroying his own health and wealth in the process.

Adrian Lukis is also superbly cast as the KC who accepts the Winslow brief with a first act curtain line that never fails to delight. He cuts a dark, formidable figure in a tight-waisted coat, a hint of vanity with his hair parted in the centre. But leaning solemnly on a walking-stick with an air of bemused engagement, he offers a fresh take on this usually austere role.

Another unexpected change comes with Claire Cox’s attractive performance as the boy’s older sister, a suffragette eagerly in support of her father but who, thanks to a series of dazzling costume designs by Mark Bouman, gives the production its eye-catching sense of Edwardian fashion.

Fine playing too from Diane Fletcher as the boy’s affectionate mother who enjoys the opportunity to dress up for the daily courtroom hearings. And there are strong supporting performances by Sarah Flind enjoying a personal round as the maid and Thomas Howes as the limber older son who ploughed his Oxford exams.

Simon Higlett’s classy but uncluttered pros-arch setting will also serve the company well while the production tours the UK and for what should surely be a West End transfer.