Ronnie Winslow, a 13-year-old schoolboy at a prestigious military academy in England is accused of stealing a $5 postage stamp from the locker of his best friend — and expelled. Returning home ashamed and afraid, Ronnie's father asks his son the truth. Ronnie swears he didn't steal it, and with that his father commits wholeheartedly to defending his son's reputation at all costs — risking social standing and even potential financial ruin.
WHY I LOVE IT
The two-act, 90-page play charges forward to the climactic court ruling. Its thematic focus — the importance of reason and truth in matters big and small — is refreshing; and Sir Robert Morton, the defense lawyer hired by the family to defend Ronnie before the House of Commons, is a brilliantly drawn character, whose ability to cut through to the essentials in cross-examinations and more-casual conversations was spectacular. {JG}
FAVORITE QUOTES
{ * } "To fight a case on emotional grounds, Miss Winslow, is the surest way of losing it. Emotions muddy the issue. Cold, clear logic — and buckets of it — should be the lawyer's only equipment." — Sir Robert Morton
{ * } "I wept today because right had been done...No. Not justice. Right. It is easy to do justice — very hard to do right." — Sir Robert Morton
{ * }
"Morton: No one party has a monopoly of concern for individual liberty. On that issue, all parties are united.
Catherine: No. Not all parties. Only some people from all parties."
{ * } "I wept today because right had been done...No. Not justice. Right. It is easy to do justice — very hard to do right." — Sir Robert Morton
{ * }
"Morton: No one party has a monopoly of concern for individual liberty. On that issue, all parties are united.
Catherine: No. Not all parties. Only some people from all parties."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Terence Rattigan was a 20th Century playwright, whose best-known works include The Winslow Boy, The Browning Version, After the Dance and The Deep Blue Sea. I'll be reporting back after I've read them and some others. From the little biographical information I've read, he was influenced by Shaw, Chekhov, Galsworthy, and Barrie. This quote of his struck me for his focus on content over style, which I appreciate: "A play isn't well made if you think about how well made it is, if you see the wheels turning."
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