Based on the real-life story of George Archer-Shee, a naval cadet who was accused of stealing a five shilling postal order from a fellow student, The Winslow Boy is one of Terrence Rattigan’s strongest drawing-room dramas.

Set in that golden Edwardian period, the play was written in the aftermath of World War II and the ominous feeling that World War I is not far away gives the play an ineffable sadness despite the comedic style that prevails.

Having watched this latest production - seamlessly directed by Rachel Kavanaugh - through the prism our just having celebrated the centenary of the women’s vote, one comes away with a very strong feeling that it should actually be called The Winslow Girl.

The character of the boy’s older sister Catherine is by far the most compelling, particularly since she is superbly played with a mixture of stridentcy and vulnerability by Dorothea Myer-Bennet.

Although usually seen as sacrificing her own happiness for the pursuit of justice for her brother, in this production I can’t help feeling she has a lucky escape from a dull marriage that will stifle her ambitions.

As it is, we are left with the hopeful idea that we will one day see Kate as a member of parliament, standing as a formidable opposition to the impressive barrister Sir Robert Morton.

Of course, all of this hope is double-edged when we are all too familiar with what happened next, particularly when you read in the programme that Archer-Shee was killed 1914.

The cast is uniformly impeccable, with Timothy Watson in particular making a fantastic job of delivering one of the greatest curtain lines in theatre as act I comes to a close. Clipped and contained, he has a strong stage presence and a formidable speaking voice. In all, a thought-provoking and entertaining evening.

Emily Angus