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Leon Ockenden as actor
Peter Kyle and Olivia Hallinan Flare Path
Malvern Theatres
***** IN THE week
when they are nationally commemorating the Battle of Britain and the
amazing achievement of Britain’s fighter pilots, Terence Rattigan’s
Flare Path
reflects the life and pressures of the bomber crews later in the same
conflict. The hotel adjoining the airfield at Milchester is
the setting for this play, a place to which members of the bomber crews
resort for time to relax, drink, eat and mingle, or even to spend a
night with their wives. The play explores the drama of a night when the
crews are called out at the last minute for a sortie over the Rhineland,
thereby disrupting their social life. We meet three couples principally, and various
other individuals, but the primary couple are Flight Lieutenant Graham
(Teddy) and his actress wife Patricia whose relationship is threatened
with disaster by the affair Patricia had previously been conducting with
a glamorous actor called Peter Kyle. Patricia is proposing to comply
with Peter Kyle’s wishes and leave Teddy for him and a new life
together. When the four bombers take off, one aircraft
meets disaster on take-off. Another does not make it back successfully.
A third returns despite major damage to its fuselage. These events in
the background create huge emotional pressures for the waiting wives,
and the crew back at base represented primarily by the Squadron Leader
Swanson. Out of this cauldron of tension and emotional
trauma, Teddy and Patricia discover things about themselves and each
other that change them forever. They will never be the same again. The
measure of unreality and superficiality in their earlier relationship is
exposed and displaced in favour of a sincerity and reality on which
their future can be securely based. This play explores aspects of courage and bravery
and illustrates how bravery is not the absence of fear but the
overcoming thereof. The play combines tension, optimism and humour in a
very poignant way. The humour provided principally by the Squadron
Leader and Mrs Oates, the hotel manager is a brilliant antidote to the
intensity of the more emotional scenes. This production does an excellent job of bringing
the characters and their situations alive. There is a range of
characters and relationships, spanning the social worlds of the very
'hearty fellow’ from the more privileged background to the very
down-to-earth barmaid Doris and the blunt Mrs Oates. The design of the show presents us with a steeply
raked stage: the effect of this is to bring the large window upstage
with the curtains that are periodically drawn, closer to the audience.
This window looks upon the airfield and the ‘flare path’ created to help
the pilots take-off and land safely at night. Along with the strong
sound effects this brings us an immediacy of the airfield and the
aircraft that we cannot directly see. The acting is of a very high standard. Philip
Franks (Squadron Leader Swanson) and Stephanie Jacob (Mrs Oates) provide
great humour with their excellent timing and physical control to portray
richly enjoyable characters. Alastair Whatley (Teddy) provides a very strong
characterisation with balance and depth; his emotional breakdown
contrasts cleverly and convincingly with his generally hearty leadership
and social charm. These outstanding performances are supported by
an excellent team that all contribute to a very high standard of acting.
Leon Ockenden as the famous actor Peter Kyle and Olivia Hallinan
complete the love triangle, Siobhan O’Kelly (Doris) and Adam Best
(Flying Officer Count Scriczevinsky) portray a very loving coupe without
undue sentimentality. Terence Rattigan was a member of the RAF during
the war and this play reflects his direct personal experience. The play
takes a while to wind up but the second half was brilliant and this
excellent production deserves to play to full houses over the coming
week. To 19-09-19 Tim Crow
Flare Path returns to the Midlands at Coventry Belgrade 3-7 November.
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