Spitfire Girls - Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Spitfire Girls shines a light on the unspoken heroes of the Second World War - the women who fought stereotypes and deep rooted misogyny to serve their country. The show follows two women as they enlist to join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), flying planes from factories to deliver them to the Royal Air Force during the war. Whilst these women were not on the front lines of the fighting, their job was essential in assuring the security of the soldiers who were.

Although this story was incredibly interesting, it erred far too much on the predictable side. A father coming to “pick up” his daughters from service saying that they are “essential but not irreplaceable” to the ATA. Highlighting the inherent disrespect towards women in traditionally “male roles” that is still somewhat present 80 years on, this approach, although somewhat impactful in the moment, was very predictable. It is an age-old conversation by now, so it is difficult to find a novel approach at its representation. However, with a true story like this, it really deserved more tension than it got in the end.

Whilst this review will not delve into the specifics of the performances simply (because the element of surprise in this production is quite important), this reviewer must highlight the character of Dorothy “Dot”, played by Hannah Morrison. Dot has possibly the most interesting character development, in this reviewer's opinion, and I found that Morrison took on the part with striking ease and a commendable amount of fire and drive to advocate for herself.

Mark Senior

In terms of the storyline, whilst it is incredibly interesting to learn about the lives of those brave women, there wasn’t much in the way of dramatic tension. It seemed to rely quite heavily on the curiosity of its audiences guided towards the historical aspects rather than how it affected their human relationships. So, whilst this production may attract audiences simply on the time period in which it is set, it may struggle to maintain that engagement throughout.

Further, as the story appeared quite linear and straightforward, there were moments when issues in pacing were made all the more prominent. Particularly in the first Act, there were several moments when characters were introduced but not much was said about them before including them in prolonged scenes that did very little to advance the overall plot. This was performed by a cast of 5 who, apart from the two leading ladies, rotated and played multiple characters each. One in particular led to some confusion for this reviewer as she played the ATA’s commanding officer, as well as a pilot who enjoyed a close bond to the troops. There were little changes seen between the two characters, which did lead to this reviewer questioning whether they were two separate people. In the past, this reviewer has seen many a show that uses this technique of multi-rolling and it can really be incredibly effective. This one, however, did lead to some minor confusions. That said, this reviewer really is picking at the minute details which did not impact the storyline in any way, shape or form.

Mark Senior

The production itself is quite impressive, finding its grounding mainly in the lighting and sound designs (created by Peter Small and Eamonn O'Dwyer, respectively). With touring shows, it is hard to expect intricate sets or props, and a story like this could very quickly get overly ambitious. To give an example, the moments when the women are in the planes, they use foldable chairs and the lighting and sound design take the reigns to immerse the audience and let them imagine the scene in real time. The entire spectacle was cleverly crafted, trusting its actors and crews to work together to bring the story to life proving that sometimes, less is more.

Overall, this production does exactly what it needs to do, bringing agency and power back to the women who fought for their country in the shadows of the men in the front lines. Despite its overall predictability which did dampen the dramatic effect it was trying to build, it’s a show with an abundance of heart and historical significance.

Production Value: 80%

Value for Money: 70%

Personal Enjoyment: 70%

Overall Score: 73% - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)

(AD | Ticket gifted in exchange for an honest review)

Show Information

Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Playing until: 28th March 2026

Run Time: 2h10min - including a 20-minute interval

Tickets for this venue can be book at the link here.