Patrick Kinsella was a young Irish actor who began his acting career in Britain. As a conscientious objector at the beginning of the Second World War, Kinsella was one of a small group of young, male actors working in the UK when Robert Atkins was casting his 1941 season. Kinsella opened the season playing the part of Petruchio alongside American actress, Claire Luce. Later that summer he took on the role of King Henry, once again directed by Atkins, and once again beside Luce. A romance blossomed between himself and Luce, but they were sadly separated when he joined the RAF having witnessed the terrible destruction of the London Blitz. Throughout his time in Europe, Kinsella wrote love letters to Luce, which were later published, and deemed important enough that they should "be in all subsequent anthologies of the world's great love letters" (Clark Kinnaird, New York Journal American). Kinsella died in 1944 whilst in action.