Two Acts of Kindess

I first came across Terence Rattigan at school. For A-Level English we studied post-1945 drama and the Winslow Boy came up as a practice paper. Reading the dialogue like a novel is never going to do a play justice and I found it, I hate to say, all a little dull... but a 17 year-old can be forgiven for being wrong... right?

As part of the centenary celebrations last year, a new play was commissioned to be performed alongside Rattigan's The Browning Version at Chichester Theatre. David Hare, himself a modern dramatic genius, subsequently wrote South Downs, inspired by Hare's own experiences at Lancing College in the early 60s. After rave reviews, it was not surprising that the double bill moved to the West End in 2012.

First up was South Downs, which follows Blakemore, a teenager boarding at an Anglo-Catholic school in 1962. He is remarkably bright, much to the annoyance of his peers, and finds himself struggling socially. It's a really touching play that culminates in an 'act of kindness' that leaves you feeling all mushy inside!

When my Mum and I talked in the interval, we embarrassingly realised that neither of us knew what play we had just seen and which one was yet to come! When we found out that Rattigan was still to come we let out a little squeal; if South Downs had been great then The Browning Version was only going to be brilliant.

I have to say my throat felt very dry by the end of The Browning Version. Andrew Crocker-Harris is a strict and much disliked Classics teacher at an English public boarding school, thought to be inspired by Rattigan's own time at Harrow, but has been forced to give up his long-standing career due to health problems. Crocker-Harris spends much of the first scene off-stage so all you hear what a prat he is. When he appears, however, you slowly come to realise things run a little deeper than that. It's a deeply touching performance from Farrell that reminded me of one of my own teachers.

Anna Chancellor and Nicholas Farrell were pure genius and the young boy who played Blakemore was startlingly good. What I also loved was the accompanying music. No, it wasn't a musical... it's not a load of public schooled boys dancing in unison to catchy tunes in sequined costumes... The piano used between scenes was just a great addition and really helped with the mood.

Anyway, this is a ridiculously long post - I apologise! But go see it - it's one of the best things I've ever seen on stage.