The Canary Girls

This play was written locally to depict the history of National Filling Factory No 14 in Rotherwas, Hereford from June 1916 until September 1945.  This was a munitions factory providing vital shells for the military during World War 1 and 2. The term Canary girls was used to describe the colour of the women’s skin due to the material used to fill the shells. It was a highly secret and dangerous occupation for the women who worked there.

I appreciate that the play traversed over different scenes but, I felt, that the very basic staging used as scenery, didn’t do justice to the important historical references.

The play opened with a voiceover from Chris Barltrop talking as someone who had joined up and his account of his war. It was a fascinating account, but the music played with it was very intrusive and far too jolly for the story he was telling.

The ‘girls’ ranged in ages which I am sure was correct and the difference in circumstances of the girls too was depicted with local gentry, Lady Deborah Cheshire, working alongside women from the less fortunate in society. There was a nice relationship between Amy Burke as Lady Deborah and Jenny Hall as Dorrie Birch. The lively Iola Jones, played very well by Amanda Perkins, lifted the play and gave some comedy into the play. Vicki Shortland and Jess Rolt, playing Miriam and Sybil, used northern accents extremely well and also added some humour to the play.

It was extremely touching when Megan Poole, as Aggie Donner, challenged Alfie Morris played by Joe Rolt about his not being enlisted and his explanation for this, Hugh Farey and Graham Bull as the man from the ministry and the factory manager were convincing in their roles as was Ann Smith as Miss Towers the factory forewomen. Molly Piggot played the WPC whose job it appears was to guard the factory in a very authentic uniform with the shiniest silver buttons on it.

It was a shame that the women’s costumes were not of the wraparound type as they made many references that they couldn’t take anything metal into the factory for fear of creating a spark that could lead to explosions, yet there were buttons on the jackets the ladies wore. I know that they were not metal, but a wraparound would have been more authentic. I also would have liked to see a little more makeup on the ladies to show the colour yellow and also, following a political demonstration, Harold Young played by James Thomas was supposed to have injuries which were referred to, but there was no visible evidence of it.

I loved the history of this play which showed how important the factory was during both wars.

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