The Flare Path, Theatre Review. Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * *

Cast: Leon Ockenden, Olivia Hallinan, Philip Franks, Adam Best, James Cooney, Simon Darwen, Stephanie Jacob, Shvorne Marks, Siobhan O’ Kelly, William Reay, Holly Smith, Alastair Whatley.

The Second World War asked a lot of the men and women of Britain, of Germany and the greater population of the world, it asked of them for sacrifice, of more resilience than at any time and in many ways to be more selfish in the face of adversity; it is a selfishness of spirit, to not give in despite overwhelming odds and face the world with a smile. It is this selfishness, or at least a singular part of it, that sits at the heart of Terrance Rattigan’s World War Two drama The Flare Path.

The trouble with jealousy, of a passion stoked by war and fear of the future, that the urge to descend into the world of the mayfly, to live and breathe for the moment, is that invariably someone gets hurt, someone finds their way to a dark and lonely place and in the heat of a war in which the like had never been seen before, the great industrial might of a nation raining down upon ordinary men and women, that place is damned and can seem like Hell on Earth.

Stifled by the stiff upper lip of the 1940s, the post Victorian hangover in which the armed services required their men to behave in a certain and unremitting manner, The Flare Path may seem to be seen as wallowing more in a world of manners than the stark reality of the most dangerous and horrific war the world had ever seen, the stiff upper lip placed above the tough exterior of heroes who gave all but who would wrap their emotions up so tight that they were in danger of becoming shadows of themselves. It is into this arena that Justin Audibert’s direction falls, the stiff upper lip inflexible to the modern ear and perhaps arguably feeling less tangible than a Georgian revival play or even the majesty of William Shakespeare. The language makes the play at times feel unyielding, even perhaps unbending and whilst heroism plays a part in any play, in The Flare Path, it is a not a sight in which to feel any sort of sentiment for.

With enjoyable performances by Stephanie Jacob as the hotel owner Mrs. Oakes, Shvorne Marks as Maudie and Philip Franks as Squadron Leader Swanson the play does have its redeeming features but the overall satisfaction of the play falls somewhat short of the great high that could be seen to be attained.

The Flare Path, the lighting of the way to bring home the crews of Fighter Command, finds itself unusually covered in semi dark.

Ian D. Hall