The Spitfire Girls

Birmingham Rep

4 stars ****

A very well-crafted piece of theatre. 

Two sisters meet in a bar after 25 years and we are left with the question of what on earth happened between them to make them so estranged. We then get transported back to their family home where the older sister Brett (Kathrine Senior) is applying to an ad in the paper to become a transit pilot for the war effort. Her sister Dotty (Laura Matthews) gets excited by the opportunity also, reluctantly Brett allows her younger sister to apply too escaping the farm work and there somewhat distant father for an adventure of a lifetime in the ‘Big Blue.’ 

All too often theatre shows needlessly pour money into the production with elaborate scenery, props and set pieces. All elements of the design (headed by Sarah Beaton) need to be praised as Spitfire Girls brilliantly showcases the craft of utilising a simply yet effective design. As you walk in there is only the hexagonal wooden platform with the iconic red, white, and blue roundel painted in the centre of the floor. With a few pieces of furniture sliding in and out this is all we need to take us from the inside of a bar or farmhouse to the runway on an airfield. Equally the Lighting Design (Peter Small) and Video Design (Tyler Forward) are wonderfully effective capped off with a beautiful sound design (Eamonn O’Dwyer). 

None of this could be possible without the vision of the writer, also the lead, Katherine Senior. She has written an intriguing story with humour and heart. I admit though, some scenes could have had a bigger payoff, a bit more drive but the twist at the end makes it all worthwhile. This is a production is well worth seeing not just to learn a little more about what is based on a true story about the Spitfire Girls, but partially if you’re interested in theatre craft or simply love a bit of some 1940’s nostalgia.

Reviewed by Simon Rodda