Flare Path

Written by Flt.Lt.Terence Rattigan in 1942 while serving as an air gunner/radio operator on Coastal Command.  Alison Crow directed this play with the tension and pressures of bomber command with a mission  taking off and the wives waiting for the men to return. There is also intrigue to add to the tension,   West End actor Peter Kyle (Graeme Cooper) arrives to stay at the Hotel close to the aerodrome. Flt.Lt. Teddy Graham (Stuart Laidlaw) is meeting his wife actress Patricia Graham (Katie Rose) who is the alledged lover of Kyle.  Airgunner”Dusty Miller” (Mark Bluemel) is also waiting at the hotel for his wife Maudie as is a Polish Pilot Count “Johnny“Skriczevinsky (Andrew Mackley) waiting for his wife Doris (Jennie Thomson).  Sqn. Ldr. ”Gloria” Swanson (Clive Winchester) and last but not least Mrs Oakes (Thelma Wallis) the Hotel Owner and her bar lad Percy (Patrick McConnell) complete the  cast. All played their parts well and supported each other, glad to say all the crew came back which brought the story to a satisfactory conclusion.  Teddy Graham was very intense and he brought out his acting ability when he broke down after the mission in the scene with his sympathetic wife Patricia the acting was first class and brought out her many talents. The scene where Peter Kyle had the task of translating the letter written in French by Fg Off Skriczevinsky to his wife Doris in the event of his death was very moving and both playing the roles with the correct degree of pathos.

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