Audition Notice: The Winslow Boy
Terence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy will be the second show of our 2025-26 season, performed in October 2025. Details for our June auditions are now available below.
Synopsis
The play is built around the actual court case of George Archer-Shee. George was accused of theft and expelled from the Osborne Naval College. Such was the outrage that the government had to pay £3,000 in compensation to the family. This seemingly trivial case burst into the public domain to demonstrate against the power of authority and those defending the right of the individual to be heard. The details of the case are brought into the drawing room through the eyes of witnesses in the courtroom. The dialogue creates tension and relief, anticipation and emotion of a courtroom drama.
All the action takes place in the drawing room of the rather swish, upper middle class Kensington home of the Winslow family in 1912. They are comfortable but not wealthy.
Characters
| Character | Age | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Winslow | 13 | Obedient, immature, affectionate to Violet. Military cadet. Respectful of father. Please note this role has already been cast for the show. |
| Violet | 50+ | Housemaid, in service to the Winslow family for years. Eccentric has her own style of serving. Great final speech. |
| Grace Winslow | 50+ | Wife to Arthur, mother to Catherine, Richard and Ronnie. Aristocrat, elegant, impeccable manners |
| Arthur Winslow | 60+ | Strong dominant character. Defensive of his family honour. Lovely sense of caustic wit. |
| Catherine Winslow | 29 | Confident assured, modern, fierce supporter of the Suffrage movement. Trapped by constraints of Society. |
| Dickie Winslow | 22 | Man about town living on father’s support. Allegedly studying for Oxford but energies lie in the good times. |
| John Watherstone | 30+ | Fiancé to Catherine from Military family. Loves her until the court case brings the family name into question. |
| Desmond Curry | 45+ | Past celebrity cricketer, solicitor for the Winslow family, carries a torch of unrequited love for Catherine. |
| Sir Robert Morton | 40+ | Sleek, debonair, assured, flippant, wealthy. Intrigued to defend Ronnie. A major role. |
| Miss Barnes | Any age | Female reporter chatty, silly, loud, cameo role in one scene. |
| Fred | Any age | Photographer, tired, worn down with enthusiastic Miss Barnes. Great cameo role in one scene. |
Show Information & Auditions
Readthrough: Sun 8 June – 2pm – Wokingham Theatre
Auditions: Mon 16 & Thu 19 June – 7:45pm – Wokingham Theatre
Performances: Wed 15 to Sat 25 October 2025
Jenny Brown • Director
lynwood.jennyb@gmail.com
Liz George • Production Manager
lizg@wokinghamtheatre.org.uk
Please note, any non-members wishing to audition will need to become a member if they are cast, before they are able to take part in the show. You can find out more about membership here.