The Browning Version - Terence Rattigan | Radio Drama

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"The Browning Version," a play by Terence Rattigan, premiered at the Phoenix Theatre in London on September 8, 1948. Set in a boys' public school in England, the story centers around Andrew Crocker-Harris, an aging and unpopular classics teacher. After 18 years of service, Crocker-Harris is retiring due to ill health, despised by his students and colleagues, and nicknamed 'The Crock.' His wife, Millie, a much younger and vivacious woman, no longer loves him and is having an affair with another teacher, Frank Hunter. On his last day, Crocker-Harris receives an unexpected gift from a student named Taplow—a second-hand copy of Robert Browning’s translation of Aeschylus's 'Agamemnon.' This small gesture triggers a wave of buried emotions and reflections for Crocker-Harris, prompting him to reassess his failed career and marriage, and consider his future. The play's original production saw Eric Portman as Andrew and Mary Ellis as Millie. Despite initial success in London, the Broadway rendition starring Maurice Evans and Edna Best struggled, closing after just 62 performances. 'The Browning Version' has been adapted for film twice—featuring Michael Redgrave in 1951 and Albert Finney in 1994—and also for television on several occasions. The piece is lauded for its deep emotional resonance and Rattigan's keen examination of failed aspirations and personal redemption.