The Rattigan The Newsletter of The Terence Rattigan Society ISSUE NO. 31 JANUARY 2020 Version Barbara bows out in style here was an element of sadness to the AGM competition by some of the script-readers who par- this year: our Founder and Chairman ticipated. The reading was directed by Michael T Barbara had decided to stand down from Gaunt, who managed to extract all the key ele- the latter role and this also ments in a very short re- lent a certain piquancy to hearsal time, and Alison Du the proceedings, which Cane provided the neces- included Barbara’s own sary stage directions. The report to the meeting and a play was well received by tribute from her successor, the audience, which includ- Denis Moriarty, both of ed Vice-President Greta which items are reproduced Scacchi. in these pages. Our former Members had also con- Secretary, Clive Montellier, tributed towards a gift for was also conspicuous by his Barbara, to show their absence since he has moved appreciation for the tremen- on to other pastures, but his dous job she has done in role has been very ably filled steering the Society for the by Martin Amherst Lock, last eight years, so on their who conducted the business behalf Roger Mills made the of the day with great effi- presentation of some theatre ciency. tokens, a cheque to cover a Martin also featured in couple of meals out with a the play reading which Our Founder and Chairman at the AGM on companion, and some flow- followed the AGM—Wrong 30 November when she was presented with ers. Lee Penhaligan then flowers and gifts by Society members and Move by Peter Briffa, who the Terence Rattigan Charitable Trust. surprised her with a beauti- joined us for the occasion. ful engraved vase from the Wrong Move was placed third in the recent TRS Terence Rattigan Charitable Trust. play competition and proved to be a tight two- Editor’s Note: Barbara would like members to hander of a suspense drama, with Martin as a kid- know how very appreciative she is of the wonder- napped British author being held captive in a Los ful parting gift of Theatre Tokens and a cheque to Angeles basement by a half-crazed former World cover some choice restaurants either before or after Chess Champion, played by Giles Cole. It had the show. Though retiring from the chairmanship several neat twists and turns and had indeed been she will still be attending TRS events and she looks rather favoured as a potential winner of the play forward to seeing everyone on those occasions. BARBARA STEPS DOWN AT THE AGM, P 1 PROFILE OF THE NEW CHAIRMAN, P 2, 8 THE CHAIRMAN’S REPORT, PP 3, 5 BOOK REVIEW:THE PLAYWRIGHT AS BATTLEFIELD, PP 4, 5 IN SEARCH FOR THE DEFINITIVE VERSION OF TR’S PLAYS1, PP 6, 7 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY / OBITUARIES, P 8 The Terence Rattigan Society President: David Suchet CBE Founder: Barbara Longford Vice-Presidents: Michael Darlow, Lord Fellowes, Dr. Holly Hill, Greta Scacchi, Geoffrey Wansell Chairman Denis Moriarty Membership Secretary Diana Scotney Treasurer Alison Du Cane Newsletter Editor Giles Cole Secretary Martin Amherst Lock Media Liaison/Co-Editor Roger Mills Theatre Liaison Michael Wheatley-Ward Events Liaison Susan Cooper Drama School Liaison Prof. Michael Gaunt Sir Terence Rattigan US Representative Dr. Holly Hill Charitable Trust Representative Lee Penhaligan ex officio Email: [email protected] Editor’s note: Any views expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Terence Rattigan Society or its Committee. Re-introducing our new Chairman effortlessly - or so it seemed - to her task. This is Denis Moriarty —————————————— something I can never match. She made all this enis was first introduced in this column in possible by identifying and Issue number 18, but as he is the newly- surrounding herself with a D elected Chairman, following on from committee of All the where our wonderful Founder and Chairman Talents, to whom I shall Barbara Longford has left off, it may be forgivable look with much respect - to remind members of him—not that he will need and enthusiasm - in our much reminding for those who attended the forthcoming collaborations. Oxford Conference or either of the annual dinners We should pause, too, to remember the held at his Club, the Oxford & Cambridge. He is a contribution her much loved and late lamented regular attender of Society events with his wife Patrick brought to the many strengths she gave to Jinnie and has the full endorsement both of Barbara the Society. In our membership, also, Barbara and of the entire Committee. attracted a wide range of loyal, interested and Although he was unable to attend the AGM in interesting people from a wide range of experience, November, he sent the following tribute to Barbara and this was her reward, and is the vital backbone which was read out to the meeting: of our success. On this - and in her style - we must “My serious apologies for absence from the TRS only seek and hope to build - to do her the AGM today - the more so, as our much loved and honour she deserves- and with you all I salute all esteemed Barbara Longford has stepped down from she has done and join in the acclaim; being our Chairman - Founder Chairman indeed - congratulations, well done, heartfelt thanks and and in her place I am honoured to accept the warmest best wishes. invitation of your committee to offer myself for I will do my best to further her vision and election as her successor. For all the reasons we achievement, working with the committee she so value Barbara so highly - far more eloquently admirably convened, and to continue the advanced than ever I could, it is with a real sense of programme of excellence that she has set in train, humility - and diffidence - that her mantle falls to encouraging and expanding our loyal following, in me. Barbara is not just the hardest of acts to follow, the enjoyment, study and understanding of the she is our fount and origin, and the TRS which she talents and legacy that Terence Rattigan brought to created is emphatically hers, hers in concept and the theatre. My thanks to you all - and especially to fulfilment, and in the energies, initiatives, and the Barbara, our very own Babs.” bubbling torrent of creative ideas, and the A short précis of his career would include the knowledge and sense of theatre that she brought, following, as detailed in Issue 18: Cont. on p8… 2 church, followed by a reception at the Garrick Club. In Chairman’s Report 2012, Group Captain Clive Montellier (Monty to us all) to the Eighth AGM, 30.11.19 arranged a magnificent visit to RAF High Wycombe where we saw the wartime office of Bomber Harris and ____________________________________ Michael Darlow introduced a screening of one of the I’m happy to say that it’s been another successful year wartime films scripted by Rattigan for the RAF Film for the Society. Since our seventh AGM last October Production Unit. here at Doggett’s, when Michael Darlow directed a We’ve held an Annual Birthday Dinner each year on rehearsed reading of the TRS New Play Award entry – a date in June nearest to the anniversary and have The Rattigan Affair - we’ve had six Society events. managed to attract wonderful speakers, despite not being The French Fund launch took place last November able to pay them any fee. These include, Ronald Har- when The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama put wood, Julian Fellowes, Hugo Vickers, Simon Heffer, on a magnificent production of Flare Path, and fortu- Professor John Bertolini and Dr Holly Hill, celebrating nately Dr. Holly Hill, our Vice President and the donor her 80th year in June. In 2013 I persuaded the staff at the of the fund, was able to travel over from the States to be V & A Museum to put on An Evening on Rattigan, as with us. Then in February the second tranche of the part of their members’ events schedule. They were fund was used to finance After the Dance—another attracted to the idea largely because of Princess excellent production—at the Oxford School. The third Galitzine’s connection with the fashion world. Jean event was in Devon with a visit to see The Browning gave a memorable interview with Geoffrey Wansell, Version and this was followed within a few days with after which members performed extracts from Rattigan’s the Annual Birthday Dinner at the Garrick Club, where plays. our guest speaker was Dr. Holly Hill. The fifth event I’ve already mentioned The French Fund, named after was our visit to When the Sun Shines, at the Orange Harold & Pegs French, who helped Holly Hill with her Tree Theatre, which I was unable to attend due to research into Rattigan in the 1970s. Holly donates having had emergency surgery. And lastly there was £1,000 each year and we use it to encourage a drama the Professor Dan Rebellato event at the Rattigan school to put on a Rattigan play. This is a fairly new but Archive in the British Library. The Committee has most effective initiative. worked hard this year to ensure that we have given There were many, many more splendid occasions and members a range of interesting activities to take part in. if you would like to look at portraits and photographs of Sadly, the time has come for me to step down as these you will find them on our website in the ‘Events Chairman.