The Winslow Boy

Based on the real-life court case of a young naval cadet unjustly accused of stealing a five-shilling postal order and first staged in 1946, The Winslow Boy has been revived many times since.

Ronnie Winslow is expelled from naval college, having been accused of petty theft. Enraged, his father Arthur engages a lawyer to challenge the Admiralty to prove the charges in court – but public opinion is very much against the Winslows, and each member of the family is suffering...

Terence Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy was first produced (after a brief pre-London tour) at the Lyric Theatre, London, in May 1946.

This edition includes an authoritative introduction by Dan Rebellato, a biographical sketch and a chronology.



Sir Terence Rattigan was one of the most popular English 20th-century dramatists. His first play, First Episode, was produced in 1934; his best-known later works include After the Dance, Flare Path, The Browning Version and The Deep Blue Sea. Many of his plays have been adapted for film, and are frequently revived. He also served as an RAF tail gunner in WWII.



'As well made an example of a well-made play as you will find anywhere'



'A sterling example of Rattigan's dramatic skill and humanity... deeply poignant'



'A playwright of acute emotional intelligence, elegant wit, and an extraordinary gift for expressive construction... thrilling'



'Among Terence Rattigan's finest work'



'Excellent... its relevance to modern times feels obvious and urgent'