The Browning Version Summary: A Classic Story of Human Emotions

The Browning Version is a play highlighting the attitude of a teenage student towards his teacher. The student’s remarks on his teacher are awful and shocking because they are very close to reality. He imitates the voice of Mr.Crocker-Harris and calls him practically inhuman. He is extremely afraid of his teacher and his promotion entirely depends on the goodwill of the teacher. On getting encouraged by his other science teacher, he opens up. Taplow hates Greek play as he does not like the teacher’s method of teaching. In order to make them like him, Mr.Crocker-Harris seems to hate people. The description of the teacher is damaging thus reflecting ultimately the hopeless quality of teachers.

The Play - The Browning Version

The play, “The Browning Version” was written by Terence Rattigan. There were many people who felt that this okay reflected the best work of Terence. It was first performed in London, Phoenix theater on September 8, 1948. It was one of the two short plays, which were titled together as “playbill”. The second half of the evening was Harlequinade, which was the companion piece. The set up of The Browning Version was in the boys public school. Crocker-Harris, who was the classics teacher in the play, was believed to be based on J.W. Coke Norris, who was a classics tutor of Rattigan at Harrow school. 

Characters in the Play

• Mr.Crocker-Harris - The strict teacher.

• Mr. Frank - the science teacher.

• Taplow - the teenage student.

• Mille Crocker-Harris - Mr. Crocker-Harris’s wife.

Summary

The first scene of the play is set in the school. A sixteen-year-old teenage boy named Taplow is there in the opening of the scene. Taplow has come to do some extra work for his teacher Mr.Crocker-Harris and has to wait for him as he is yet to arrive. Frank was another teacher, who on seeing Taplow waiting strikes a conversation with him.

Frank during the conversation gets to know that Taplow is waiting for his results which are yet to come. He is interested in specializing in science and hopes to get a good result. The headmaster declares the result on the last day of term on request of Mr.Crocker-Harris who does not declare the result himself.

The conversation between them also depicts Taplow’s mindset regarding his dislike towards the Greek play and interest in science. Taplow confesses to Frank during their conversation that he dislikes the greek play ‘Agamemnon’ and hates the teaching methods of Mr.Crocker-Harris. He tells Frank that the play is not that bad but he is interested in science.

Taplow had to do extra work as he missed a class a week ago. Frank suggested that he might get his removal for doing extra work which Taplow refuses to accept as he feels Mr.Crocker-Harris is different from other teachers and such rules don’t work with him. Also, he doesn’t appreciate the extra work done by students.

Mr.Harris being different from other teachers is strict and inhuman as told by Taplow. He doesn’t disclose the results to the students before the last day of term himself and instead makes the headmaster do so. When asked about the removal of Mr.Crocker-Harris by Taplow, he says that is exactly what he deserves “No less, and certainly no more”.

Taplow was suggested by Frank to make use of the chance to leave and play golf as Mr.Crocker-Harris is ten minutes late. Taplow denies it as he is afraid and thinks that Mr.Crocker-Harris might follow him home.

Frank envies Mr. Harris for the control he has on his students and the fear amongst the students because of him. Frank asks Taplow if Mr.Harris beats them to which he replies that he is not a sadist and not a person who would beat students to vent his frustration.

Taplow tells that he likes Mr.Harris despite all this and narrates an incident wherein he laughs at a classical joke by Mr.Crocker-Harris, although he didn’t get the joke.

In the meantime, Mrs. Mille Crocker Harris enters the room and informs Taplow that her husband has gone to Bursar’s and would take some time to come back. She suggests Taplow go and play for a quarter of an hour and return back until Mr.Harris comes.

Taplow is puzzled by Mr.Harris’s behavior. He is not willing to leave until Mr.Harris arrives as he is afraid of him and doesn’t want to disobey him. Mille assures Taplow that she won’t let him land in trouble and would take the blame on her by making an excuse for his absence. Taplow is handed a prescription by her and sends him to the chemist to get medicines for Mr.Harris. Taplow agrees to it and leaves from there.

The Plot of the Play 

The play is about a classics teacher named Andrew Crocker-Harris, who teaches at an English boys school. After spending eighteen years of his life in that same school, it was his last day there as he got another job at a different school. There were speculations about his transfer among the students but they didn’t give much care to this even though he was academically brilliant. He was despised by everyone because of his humorless, stern, and strict behavior towards the students. He had a nickname given by the students which was known as “The Crock”. 

Even the administrators of the school treated him badly without considering his long tenure. His wife, Millie Crocker-Harris, no longer loved him but had an affair with another teacher named Frank hunter. Even though she had an affair with him, deep down she knew that he didn't love her. Taplow, a student who doesn’t hate Crocker-Harris but felt sorry for him, gave a going-away gift to him, on this last day. The gift he gave was the copy of a translation of Agamemnon, an Aeschylus’s ancient play written by Robert Browning. This gift brought a series of actions that made Crocker-Harris look back at his past, view his future and calculate how he will end his tenure at the school. 

Adaptations of the Play 

There were at least four adaptations in television and two film versions. The version of the 1951 film, starred Michael Redgrave, who played Crocker-Harris. He won two awards at the prestigious Cannes films festival. The first award was for Rattigan's screenplay and the other was for Redgrave’s acting performance. There was a remake of the play in 1994, which starred Albert Finney, Greta Scacchi, Michael Gambon, Julian Sands, Matthew Modine, and a young Ben Silverstone. 

There was another version of the play in British television made in 1955. It starred Peter Cushing in the role of Crocker-Harris. There was one more version just for the television that came in 1985, which starred Ian Holm as the main character of the play for the BBC.

Not only tv but a radio version of the play was also broadcast in June 2011 on BBC Radio 4. Martin Jarvis directed the show in which Michael York, Ian Ogilvy, Loan Gruffudd, and Joanne Whalley featured. There was also an earlier version of the play that was broadcasted in September 1957 on the BBC Home service. Norman Wright was its director and it was adapted by Cynthia Pughe with Anthony Adams, Brewster Mason, John Gielgud, and  Angela Baddeley.

On April 3, 2012, a stage performance was held at The Players Club in New York City by TAPT (The Artists’ Playground Theater). 

Conclusion of the Browning Version

Through the play, the relationship between the student and teacher is depicted. Taplow who was expected to show his anger instead chose to respect and not disobey his teacher despite Mr.Harris’ ways of teaching.