Terence Rattigan: The Man and His Work

by Michael Darlow

Recounts the life and career of English playwright, Rattigan, and his twenty years of triumphs on the stage, such as The Browning Version and Separate Tables

Genres: Biography, Theatre, Nonfiction

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Tim Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very glad I picked this up in a charity shop. It's slightly hard work, a thorough and very intelligent biography that treats all of Rattigan's plays (488 pages with footnotes). He's not just The Winslow Boy and The Browning Version, and his plays are much more than well-cared. He wrote from the 1940s through to the 1970s, and was rooted in a pre-war public school culture, but "He wrote about the things that mattered most to him - emotions and ethics. These are timeless." He knows all about the undercurrents, the feelings lurking under the surface of things, the contradictions that press on people struggling with their emotions and their life choices. His plays are entertaining, rich, and multi-layered.

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The charismatic and complex playwright who became an overnight success aged 25. Clive Merrison reads Michael Darlow's biography.

Celebrating the centenary of the playwright's birth the BBC has been airing some of Rattigan's plays and this biography is the culmination of the celebrations. Superbly read by Merrison.

[Paul Servini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative work about leading dramatist.