Flak

If the Lancaster bomber you were piloting five miles over Sweden suddenly disintegrated in a flash of white light, would you have the wherewithal to think: “Now might be a good time to open my parachute”? Bruce Clifton did, surviving to be interviewed by Michael Veitch, along with about fifty other WWII pilots. A life-long aviation geek, Veitch compiled these into his best-selling history of combat aviation, Flak. For this show, Mr Veitch has adapted the five most remarkable of these stories. In doing so, he brings the voices of these men to life in a way that’s not possible in his book. In fact, three of the stories are new.

Veitch inhabits each of these characters in turn, bringing them to life in a way that seems completely authentic. Referring to his original tapes, he’s endeavoured to capture their unique voices. Lancaster bomber pilot Bruce was laid back and larconic, with a wry sense of irony and particular cadence to his sentences that sounded totally genuine. Welsh Brian was more gentle and withdrawn, carrying bitterness towards those whose decisions lead to his doomed mission over Berlin. James Coward comes across as an English officer-class dashing pilot in the Biggles mould, and as his story progresses we see his extraordinary stoicism and presence of mind to take steps to survive as he plummets through the air having been shot out of the sky. Heinz, a German Iron Cross recipient, had never talked about his war experience, but now as he was nearing death seemed to need to get the horrors off his chest. Finally Dudley, pilot of an Australian Sunderland airboat responsible for sinking U-Boat 461, seems almost incredulous of his deeds, so divorced were they from his post-war life.

The backdrop of dramatic (if static) slides and the set is minimalist, so what drives this show is Mr Veitch’s engaging delivery and the narrative strength of each of the tales. Perhaps owing to his background in sketch comedy, he does seem always to be pulling back from caricature, particularly with the German and Welsh accents. But in doing so, he gives a spirited delivery. The stories themselves were riveting, exciting and on occasion horrifying. There are a couple of diversions to discuss technical information which might lose the attention of less technically-minded in the audience briefly, but these are a necessary nod to the fellow aviation obsessives who will no doubt be in the audience.

It’s extraordinary to imagine people surviving being shot out of the sky, and these awe-inspiring and vividly related narratives are astonishing. Anyone who enjoys a good story will love this.

Cathy Bannister

Photographer: Justin Stephens