by Terence Rattigan. Directed by Dom Ward.
Performance dates and venue :
Evenings at 7.30pm : Wednesday 30 April – Saturday 3 May and Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 May
Matinées at 3pm on Saturdays 3 and 10 May
To be performed at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Audition dates and time :
Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 February between 7pm and 10pm in one-hour slots at the Tower Theatre.
Possible recalls on Sunday 16 February between 2.30pm and 7.30pm.
Please email Flare Path to be sent a sign-up form and audition materials.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
If you would like to join the Company, please click here for more information.
Please arrive on time for your allocated time slot and we will pair scene partners where relevant. There is no need to learn any part of the script, but familiarity with the play would be an advantage. Please let us know if you only wish to audition for certain roles and do not wish to be considered for other parts.
When auditioning please give the director any dates during the rehearsal period that you are unavailable.
A copy of the text is available to read in the foyer at the Tower Theatre.
About the Play
1942. The Falcon Hotel, Lincolnshire. Former actress Patricia is visiting her pilot husband Teddy, but the reunion is thrown into turmoil with the sudden appearance of her former lover, Hollywood heart-throb Peter Kyle. When a dangerous raid over Germany is ordered, Pat finds herself tested to the limit as she must choose between duty and desire.
Flare Path is a deeply moving, funny and compelling portrait of life for RAF bomber crews and the wives and sweethearts who were left awaiting their return. Showcasing Rattigan’s unique ability to portray the struggle to keep powerful emotions hidden from view even in the midst of war, Winston Churchill called the play ‘a masterpiece’.
Casting Breakdown:
The ages given are suggested playing ages for the characters. Actors of any ethnicity are welcome to audition for any role, though for Count Skriczevinsky we are ideally looking to cast an actor of eastern European heritage.
Patricia Warren. Actress and wife of Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham. She had a passionate affair with Peter Kyle, which may still be lingering. A bright, elegant exterior hiding emotional turmoil. (mid-20s/early 30s)
Peter Kyle. A suave British actor who has made it big in Hollywood. Outwardly handsome and charming, but privately all too aware of his fading career. (40+)
Flight Lieutenant Teddy Graham.Bomber Pilot.He has a deep sense of responsibility for his crew, but plays the class clown to mask how young and scared he really is. (early-mid 20s)
Countess Doris Skriczevinsky. Once a barmaid but now married to a Polish Count and bomber pilot. Doris is sociable and alert to what’s going on, but privately anxious about her new status and what will happen after the war. (early 30s)
Flying Officer Count ‘Johnny’ Skriczevinsky. A Polish aristocrat now fighting as a pilot for the British. Quiet and well mannered, he is deeply in love with his wife Doris and is held in great esteem by the other airmen, despite their teasing at his lack of English. (30s/40s)
Sergeant David ‘Dusty’ Miller. The tail gunner in Teddy’s crew. Working class and humble, he can be reserved except when sparring with his beloved wife Maudie. (late-20s/30s)
Maudie Miller. Dusty’s wife, visiting for the weekend. Can appear a bit forward and brash, but she is devoted to her husband and desperate to look after him. (late-20s/30s)
Mrs Oakes. The proprietor and matriarch of The Falcon Hotel. Respectable and no-nonsense, she takes great care to look after the crewmen but is not afraid to speak as she finds. (50s+)
Squadron Leader ‘Gloria’ Swanson. A veteran of WW1, his experience provides him with a real understanding of what his men are going through. He is an avuncular presence in the hotel, doing everything he can to look after the women left behind. (50s)
Percy. Bar hand. Always eager to know what’s happening, he hero-worships the airmen with a naïve view of the excitement of war, without any awareness of the true dangers. (late teens/early 20s)
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will start w/c Monday 3 March and take place on Mondays and Wednesdays 7-10pm, with one other weekly rehearsal day to be confirmed.
A full rehearsal schedule will be provided prior to the start of rehearsals, but some rehearsals may be added or changed if needed.
All cast members are required to assist with the get-in, which will take place all day on Sunday 27 April. Cast members must also be available for the Technical and Dress Rehearsals on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 April.
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Assistant Director: Sorrel Brown