The Genesian Theatre continues to display its flair with British period drama via Terence Rattigan’s play THE WINSLOW BOY.

Ratigan’s play, written in 1946, is based on real life events from 1908 where a naval cadet accused of theft is treated badly by the admiralty. A lengthy, public and expensive battle by the family with an infamous barrister of the time involves a strong opposition to the brute strength of the forces and government in pre-war London.

Rattigan creates a juicy family drama which goes above and beyond the simple matter of the theft. The Winslow family is not as comfortable as others financially. Their untrained domestic help is actually a type of foster child. Their intelligent daughter, Catherine, approaching thirty, is unmarried and a suffragette. Their middle child Dickie is at Oxford but struggling academically.

Thus being atypical, being the underdog and brave survival are strong themes from the outset of the play. There are modern parallels known to the audience where families have followed the judicial system to its ultimate end with a degree of personal loss and the same occurs for the Winslows.

Interestingly, the real-life cadet was represented by the same barrister who opposed Oscar Wilde in his famous case. Much of Wilde’s style of wit and mockery of misguided social mores can be sensed in the script. Wilde’s insights into class or political hypocrisy are also present in Rattigan’s clever dialogue.

Director Nanette Frew, costume designer Peter Henson and set designer Owen Gimblett supply this strong ensemble cast with fine basic resources with which to create their characters and face each new predicament. The interactions contain romance, unrequited love, break-ups, sudden career change, teenage indifference and defiant women all moving in and out of one lush parlour space.

Rattigan’s gems of dialogue are exquisitely delivered here, as long as their intricacies are not rushed. The challenging delivery will no doubt become even more deft as the production run continues. A memorable delivery of the script is presented by David Stewart-Hunter. Playing the acerbic Arthur Winslow, many well-timed comments emanate from his invalid’s chair. The role of notorious yet humane barrister Sir Robert Morton is played with erudite eccentricity by the talented Roger Gimblett.

Ronnie Winslow’s sister Catherine is a stabilising centre peg of the family and also central to key scenes in the play’s structure. Sonya Kerr’s drawing of this character in such a solid straight line through a range of emotion, growth and realisation is rewarding to watch.

Catherine Winslow’s unrequited lover, solicitor Desmond Curry is played with consummate awkwardness and subtleties of nervous tic by Tom Massey. He is the picture of youth at its reverse end, and perhaps shows the inversely proportionate future result of the Winslow boy’s cool teenage confidence. Ronnie’s youth and aloofness is portrayed accurately by young actor Matthew Balkus.

This is a play which is interesting and elegant to view. Its opposition to authority and displeasure with government are familiar to us, as is the idea of extended legal battles or appeals. At its core, this production illustrates the complex strands, easily frayed, which form a family. THE WINSLOW BOY plays at the Genesian Theatre, Kent Street Sydney, until Feb 14