The Lion And The Unicorn

The Lion And The Unicorn by Robin Hawdon

It is on historical record that, on the evening of October 13th 1939, six weeks after war had been declared on Hitler’s Germany, Winston Churchill & Neville Chamberlain – implacable opponents for years over the appeasement issue – met together with their two wives, Clementine and Anne, for a private dinner at Admiralty House, an event which caused ripples throughout Westminster and Whitehall.

Chamberlain was still Prime Minister, but had seen all his efforts to negotiate peace with Hitler shattered. Churchill had been recalled to the cabinet after ten years ‘in the wilderness’, his dire warnings of the Nazi threat vindicated.

It was the first and only time these four mismatched personalities ever met socially alone together. There is no record as to what transpired during that unique evening, and no one knew what was Churchill’s motive for the invitation.

This new drama imagines the events. Its original production was delayed by Covid. Now touring.

“The play contains great writing, trenchant observation, and memorably drawn characters… The sharp dialogue between Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain is both entertaining and highly relevant, given current global issues… The play is compelling, prophetic, and passionate. It should be on at the National Theatre.” Hampshire Chronicle.