Casting Announced For THE WINSLOW BOY At Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Timothy Watson, best known for his role as the villainous Rob Titchener in BBC Radio 4's long-running dramatic favourite, The Archers, is to join the cast of The Winslow Boy which opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 21 February 2018.

Timothy joins previously announced cast leads Tessa Peake-Jones (BBC 1's Only Fools and Horses, ITV's Grantchester) as Grace Winslow and Aden Gillett as Arthur Winslow (BBC 1's The House of Elliot) as sought after barrister Sir Robert Morton who comes to the defence of Navel Cadet Ronnie Winslow (played by Misha Butler who makes his stage debut in this production).

Timothy Watson captured the collective hatred of the nation as Rob Titchener in The Archers who, in Radio 4's controversial slow-burning storyline, revealed himself to be not the charming and capable man he purported to be on his arrival in Ambridge but a manipulative bully who coercively controlled his partner, Helen. The storyline not only permeated the UK's cultural fabric, but came during a period in which new UK Legislation was introduced protecting people from Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship. The charity Women's Aid noted during the final year of the two and a half year plot that a 20% increase in calls to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline was observed which was noted, in part, to be a reflection of the 'Archers' effect.'

On stage Timothy has appeared regularly in London and the West End (The Beaux' Stratagem, National Theatre, An Inspector Calls, Garrick, The Woman in Black, Fortune), toured the length and breadth of the country countless times, and acted in over fifty productions in repertory and other theatres, including The Madness of George III and The Recruiting Officer at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. He has made numerous appearances on TV and film, including series regular Mr Perez, Maitre d' of the Palm Court Restaurant in Mr Selfridge.

The Winslow Boy is one of Rattigan's best-known works and was based on a real-life event. Having been expelled from the Royal Navy College for stealing a five-shilling postal order, young cadet Ronnie Winslow's entire family are pulled apart by the repercussions of this charge. Set against the values of 1910 Edwardian London, the Winslow family fight to clear his name or face social ostracism as the case becomes a national scandal. Based on a real-life event, The Winslow Boy is a courageous and often delicately humorous window into the class and political hypocrisy of the time. This highly-charged moral drama will have audiences gripped by the heart-tugging decisions faced by each of The Winslow Family.

The play will be directed by Olivier Award-nominated and former REP Artistic Director, Rachel Kavanaugh whose recent credits include A Christmas Carol (Royal Shakespeare Company), Oklahoma! (BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall), Half a Sixpence (West End).

The cast also features Dorothea Myer-Bennett as Ronnie's spirited sister, Catherine and Theo Bamber his brother, Dickie, Soo Drouet as the Winslow's Maid, Violet and Sarah Lambie who appears as reporter Miss Barnes.

The Winslow Boy opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 21 February until 3 March. Tickets available from Birmingham-rep.co.uk / 0121 236 4455

To post a comment, you must register and login.