TERENCE Rattigan’s Flare Path, a moving wartime drama about a woman torn between love and duty, performs at Theatre Royal Winchester from Tuesday October 13 to Saturday October 17.
Rattigan, who wrote The Browning Version and Separate Tables, used his own experiences as an RAF tail gunner to paint an evocative portrait of the life-and-death existence of the bomber crews and the plight of their wives and sweethearts awaiting their return.
Flare Path, from the producers behind the critically-acclaimed touring production of Birdsong, stars Philip Franks from TV’s Heartbeat, Leon Ockenden (Mr Selfridge), Olivia (Lark Rise To Candleford) and Alastair Whatley.
It is directed by Justin Audibert who recently directed The Jew Of Malta for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
In the tense atmosphere of World War Two, a woman must choose between her passion for a former lover and her obligation to support her bomber pilot husband.
Flare Path offers audiences an authentic taste of the fear, camaraderie and passion experienced by the men and women who fought to save their country, their families and each other.
Many people will be unaware that some of Rattigan's time in the RAF was spent in a Hampshire village.
A tail gunner in bombers, in 1940 he was stationed at Hamble where planes were repaired. He got involved with the local Hamble Players and even helped cast their Christmas pantomime, according to the late Kitty Somersgill. Kitty was interviewed for an oral history project in 2003 to coincide with the unveiling of the Spitfire statue at Southampton Airport.
His wartime experience gave an authentic taste of fear to Flare Path, which he wrote in 1942 while still in the RAF.
Rattigan worked on the script during flying missions and, on one occasion when a damaged engine meant all excess weight including picture frames of sweethearts had to be thrown out, he only just managed to rescue the first act from his kit bag and stuff the pages in his pocket.
Tickets are available on 01962 840 440 or online at theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk.