P’tang, Yang, Kipperbang

A socially awkward fourteen-year-old obsessed with cricket and his classmate Ann Lawton. He spends days daydreaming, often narrating with cricket commentary, and looks up to Tommy as a heroic figure, even as his stories reveal a fragile grasp on reality. The film follows his growth as he navigates adolescence and his own insecurities.

An English teacher who fears she might be pregnant, risking her job and reputation. She navigates the war-time past with the headmaster and reluctantly discovers attraction to Tommy, creating a complicated emotional balance between duty and desire. Her choices test professional boundaries and hint at underlying tensions within the postwar school.

A groundsman adored by Alan, portrayed as a war veteran with a knack for storytelling. His tall tales of Dunkirk, El Alamein, and other battles mask a darker truth of desertion, complicating Alan’s hero worship. The revelation of his desertion destabilizes Alan's view of heroes and authority.

A classmate who is bright but considered by peers as the wrong kind of interest for Alan. She remains reserved and possibly attracted to another boy, shaping the dynamics of Alan’s crush and social standing at school. Her reactions influence the central romance plot.

Authority figure at the school who bears the weight of wartime memory and Miss Land’s professional prospects. He exerts control and witnesses the evolving affections and disruptions within the school. His position highlights the tension between tradition and changing social norms.

An officer who arrives at the school amid the unfolding revelations, representing law, order, and the consequences of Tommy’s deceit. He marks a turning point in the narrative.

The cricket commentator whose voice guides Alan’s daydreams, offering a detached, iconic narration that frames the film’s mood and themes. His commentary blends with Alan's imagination to heighten the film's love of cricket and youthful longing.