Spitfire Girls, presented this week at the Arts Theatre Cambridge, by Tilted Wig Productions is a compelling tale of bravery, sisterhood, and empowerment. Shown to us through the memories of Bett, the older, more cautious of two sisters, the play puts a spotlight on the often overlooked contributions of hundreds of women towards the war effort of the Second World War, highlighting the risks and rewards of choosing to put themselves in the firing line for their country.
A quick history lesson. The Air Transport Auxiliary (The ATA) was founded at the outbreak of World War II for the purpose of transporting warplanes between factories, maintenance units, and front line squadrons. Initially this civilian unit was restricted only to men, but the first women joined in 1940 and later earned the same responsibilities and pay as the men, making the ATA one of the first Equal Opportunities Employers. Spitfire Girls follows the stories of two sisters, Bett and Dotty who sign up to the ATA together, rivalry, ambition, and the realities of war. It’s a tender play with a huge amount of emotional pull, not just for those with an interest in recent war history.
The set, designed by Sarah Beaton is simple, yet very effective. All the action takes place on a lifted platform, with a few key pieces of furniture to build the space without creating overhead on the set changes which were choreographed by Stephen Moynihan and woven into the flow of the scenes. All of this accentuates the fact that most of the action takes place in Bett’s memories. An almost dreamlike quality, particularly when paired with perfectly placed clouds of smoke (tell me your secrets!). The costumes are period accurate and well fitted, especially the uniforms. Quite dashing I do say. Music and dance feature heavily in this production, cleverly used to distract from set changes or to add weight to the more sombre moments of the show. Across the board, movement is slick and finetuned to match with the music. The flying sequences are first-class. Eamonn O’Dwyer’s sound design and score breathe life into the world we’ve been invited to, combined with lighting by Peter Small, movement, and scenery to make for a completely immersive experience.
Our leading ladies, Bett (played by Katherine Senior, sharing the role with Katriona Brown) and Dotty (Hannah Morrison), are fabulous. Morrison as Dotty is the driving force in the cast, no pun intended, relentlessly pushing against Senior’s reclusive Bett. Morrison gives a stellar performance, capturing the enthusiasm and naivety of Dotty. She makes clear and defined choices, pushing herself to extreme emotion in a realistic and natural way. Senior’s Bett is a deliberate counter to Dotty: avoidant, distrustful, reticent, but with a clear devotion to her younger sister. Bett’s internal conflict is very visible and confidently acted. The chemistry between the two actors is palpable, and group scenes really highlight the chemistry of the cast as a whole. Paul Brown, Jack Hulland, and Kirsty Cox all double up in dual roles. Movement, tone, and accents are used to great effect in distinguishing their characters, all of them unambiguous and distinct. Cox makes for a commanding C.O, in contrast to her carefree portrayal of Joy, a fantastic performance. Hulland plays the girls’ father and Frank, a drunk but observant pub regular. As Frank he is lovably rogue and a charming presence. As father, the stubborn old man shines through clear as day, though I personally think a little more nuance when the girls tell him they are leaving to join the war effort would take the performance even higher. Brown as Tom and Jimmy is engaging, cheeky, and inviting. Both quite different characters on the surface but with many similar qualities that are played well and compliment the other personalities on stage. His Jimmy particularly adds some zest.
Some small notes in general. Acoustics differ by venue, and a little attention to volume is needed for the more tender scenes. My final nitpick is that I noticed that an actor would occasionally take a quick look out after a “big line” or while talking for an extended period of time in profile, as if they are self-conscious about the amount of time they are not facing the audience or if they are deliberately breaking the fourth wall. This isn’t done by all of the actors so my stance on this is that either everyone does it or no-one does. However overall, the direction by Seán Aydon is marvelous. Aydon undoubtedly has a great deal of understanding of the time period, creating relationships on stage, and a desire to frame the stories of these heroic women with all the raw, exhilarating, and devastating aspects of their sacrifice.
Spitfire Girls is a story that doesn’t overwhelm you with historical facts. It showcases the feats of a hidden group of heroes in a naturally unfolding journey that brings you along for the ride. Catch it while you can. Blue skies!
