Our play for October/November 2009 WINGS OVER WESTWARD HO!
A World War One melodrama during the years 1916-1918.
Discovering factual information on the Royal Flying Corps based at Westward Ho! in a library book, ‘Devon’s War’, led Tom Waters to check out further war records and unearth enough material for this play. Yes, there is sufficient fiction found within the script to make an interesting story. Two amazing characters emerge; both American war aces who join the RFC when the United States decided to take up arms against Kaiser Bill’s Germany.
Lt Elliot White Spring and Eddie Rickenbaker survive the Battle of the Somme and that’s a fact. Fiction then takes a hand as they are posted to Netheravon and eventually Westward Ho! as aviation instructors. Trouble seems to follow them as mayhem and murder break out.
Seafield House at Westward Ho! is the setting, a house that still exists, if somewhat down trodden due to weathering of Atlantic storms. The play opens with a Prologue of about eight minutes leaving the audience with a good idea of what goes on at a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. This part of the script is taken from War Diaries and are the actual facts, the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Lloyd George. The play continues with a mixture of humour, drama, music and sadness coupled with all sound effects. Several of the writers’ old characters make a comeback – Shylock Holmes, Amelia Watson and our old friend Narcissus Hatherleigh, the solicitor who is always scheming to make an odd shilling or two.
With a major golf tournament about to begin and a squadron of aircraft about to descend from the skies, the air becomes a little bluer than the Indian summer sky. The arrival of Sir John, a well known golfer, at the Seafield House Hotel, plus an amazing ghostly tale sets the scene for Richard’s special effects. The next guest to arrive is Loveday Netherway, a dancer, with previous experience in London and Paris. The Americans love her, but so does somebody else and why would she come to Westward Ho!? The Hotel is run by a strange couple, Charles and a Miss Cornelius.
The Players have many changes this year and expect to see nine new faces. They are as follows:
