Review: Spitfire Girls at The Rep, Birmingham

★★★★★

Spitfire Girls is a play that transports you back to the wartime efforts, inspired by the true stories of the pioneering women who fearlessly flew Spitfire planes during WWII; exploring the bonds that tied them together.

Written by Katherine Senior, the play is well-researched and full of depth, pulling together the facts, histories and stories acquired pre-production, and then spun into a new story inspired by all that she has heard from the families of, and the women who flew in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA).

In Spitfire Girls, sisters Dotty (Laura Matthews) and Bett (Katherine Senior/ Rosalind Steele) join up to the ATA together, learning how to fly, in a story that explores the strains on familial bonds, friendship and relationships during war. Spitfire Girls is a story of overcoming and rising above the prejudices of gender with a classic wartime love story threaded through the narrative.

Directed by Seán Aydon, Spitfire Girls gets to the human stories of bravery, skill and camaraderie behind the history of these pioneering pilot women. The play also stars Kirsty Cox as C.O/ Joy, Jack Hulland as Dad / Frank, and Samuel Tracy as Tom / Jimmy. Despite the small cast who perform multiple roles, the characters showcased in the production are well-played giving deep characterisation that tugs at your heartstrings.

Designed by Sarah Beaton, the staging with its iconic Spitfire roundel in the centre is simple yet effective, while the costuming is instantly recognisable and place-able in history with its RAF uniforms, flying jackets, and 1940s dresses. The soundscape by Eamonn O’Dwyer pulls audiences into each scene, rooting them in historic moments with radio news clips, music and sound effects. What’s more, choreography and movement direction (Stephen Moynihan) that simulates flight is cleverly done, lifting the production to even further heights.

A tale filled with humour and warmth with an undercurrent of grief and loss, Spitfire Girls is as emotional, raw and heartbreaking as it is uplifting and hopeful. Ultimately, the show is a reminder of the importance of sharing stories from history so that they don’t get lost to the skies of time. Spitfire Girls truly soars, in more ways than one.

Spitfire Girls runs at Birmingham’s Rep Theatre from Monday 16th June until Saturday 21st June 2025. Tickets still available. https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/spitfire-girls/