Review: The Winslow Boy

In 1908 a Liverpool bank manager received a letter from the Royal Naval College stating that his young son George had been dismissed for forging a signature on a five-shilling money order.  George told his father he was innocent and with unquestioning faith in his son's word, the bank manager hired one of the most famous attorneys in London, Sir Edward Carson, to clear his son's name.

Carson who had figured prominently in the trials of Oscar Wilde and who would later become attorney General and Solicitor General got the case to trial by resorting to an ancient clause known as the petition of the right. Normally the rulings and decisions of the Navy could not be protested in court, But Carson won the right and in time the young man was exonerated.

This story inspired playwright Terrence Rattigan to write The Winslow Boy. Though the characters in the play are given different names the story remains largely the same.  The play was a huge hit in London in 1936 and arrived on Broadway 10 years later.  Since then it's been a staple of rep and community theatre groups.

The Bloor West Village Players have chosen it to open their 34th season at the Village Playhouse on Bloor Street near Runnymede station, and thanks to some fine performances the play still entertains. Rattigan seems to cop out a bit in the second act.  Two important facts are left unexplained: that the young lad actually slept in and missed the announcement of his exoneration, and that a few years later he lost his life on the battlefields in World War One.

It seems the playwright prefers to give us second hand accounts of the infighting in the House of Commons. He also shifts the emphasis to the family's reactions to the proceedings, which in retrospect dull the edge of the first act somewhat. 

Still The Village Players do a fine job staging this classic play. Graham Conway brings a touching wide-eyed innocents to the role of Master Ronnie Winslow; Alan Mackenzie is commanding as his father and Rob Candy is terrific as Sir Robert Morton, the lawyer who takes Ronnie's case.

The director Anne Harper sees to it that the performers are all consistent in their approach to the material, and keeps the pacing fairly taught. The only slight downfall is the lengthy pauses between the scenes. By tightening those breaks the audience will be kept focused on the unfolding story. Otherwise it's a great beginning to what promises to be an exciting season for The Village Players.

Performances of THE WINSLOW BOY will continue at the Village Playhouse until October 13.
For tickets call the box office at 416-767-7702.

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