Man and Boy review: Terence Rattigan's forgotten play is buoyed by a stellar cast

Although not overly well-received at the time, Terence Rattigan's Man and Boy is packed full of themes that eerily resonate today.

The play follows the Antonescu family, a powerful and crooked financier father and his estranged son living in Greenwich Village in 1934.

Gregor Antonescu reappears unexpectedly in his son Basil's life five years after their estrangement, with a "small" favour to ask. What Basil doesn't realise is that his father is planning to offer him up as a sexual reward as part of a crooked business deal.

The play explores the power dynamics in the central father-son relationship, as well as pondering the larger concepts of conscience and morality. Perhaps even more relevant today is the theme of casual and brazen exploitation with no fear of consequences, making Man and Boy a timely choice for Indhu Rubasingham’s first piece of programming for the National Theatre.

Rattigan is a master of subtext, which truly shines in this claustrophobic work. However, at times Man and Boy feels slightly laborious, due to intense sections poring over the intricacies of financial crimes and its slightly predictable and drawn-out ending.

This production, however, manages to effectively gloss over these issues thanks to the sheer strength of the cast. Laurie Kynaston shines as the troubled and conflicted Basil, especially in moments of emotional breaking point which allow him to show his range.

Excellent comic relief is provided by Nick Fletcher, Leo Wao and Isabella Laughland, who should pride themselves on their comedic timing and expert delivery.

Of course, it's impossible to talk about this production without examining Ben Daniels's fascinating performance. In the first act, Daniels plays a caricature of the cunning financial don; a catlike, at times pantomime-esque performance that leaves no doubt to his acting prowess, but at times feels a out of place in this production.

Come the second act however, Daniels's Antonescu has transformed into a mentally and physically shattered man, in a raw and vulnerable performance. His physicality transforms from prowling and predatory to frail, in a devastating turn.

Several interesting choices have been made by the creative team, effectively adding to the creeping tension built up in Rattigan's dialogue. An off-stage drummer accompanies much of the drama, building and flowing in line with the events unfolding on-stage.

The set features a large old Hollywood-esque cinema sign, displaying the names of the characters and the actor they were played by, which lit up when the character was on stage. This means that surprise arrivals of characters later on, specifically the Countess Antonescu, were waited for in suspense.

Speaking of the set, props must be given (no pun intended) to set and costume designer Georgia Lowe for the fluid space created on the sparse stage, using tables to add depth to the oeuvre, acting as physical reminders of power dynamics.

Overall, Man and Boy is certainly a timely piece and what the play itself lacks in propulsion, the cast and creative team of this production make up for in skill and delivery.

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For more of the Radio Times Going Out section's teams thoughts on the latest theatre shows, check out our Into the Woods review and Paddington the Musical review.

When and where can I see Man and Boy?

Man and Boy is currently playing in the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre, located on Southbank near Waterloo Station.

The production is ongoing, and will be running until 14th March 2026.

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How to get Man and Boy tickets

There are still tickets available to see Man and Boy at TodayTix. We would recommend buying sooner rather than later, as tickets appear to be selling very quickly.

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