Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of the women who dared to fly during WWII.
By Katherine Senior
“It’s built for us, isn’t it? The Spitfire. Built for women.”
New Year’s Eve, 1959.
Decades after answering the call, two women separated by the war meet again as the rain hammers down on the windows of The Spitfire pub.
As we hear their story, we’re transported back to a time when female pioneers defied expectations and soared through the skies.
Spitfire Girls is inspired by the extraordinary true stories of the women who dared to fly during WWII and the incredible bond that tied them together.
Funny and heart-warming, this is an untold story of strength, courage and loss. But above all else, hope.
Spitfire Girls was developed with the support of the National Theatre’s Generate programme.
We’re delighted to welcome Candy Adkins B.Ed to our post-show talk on Thu 3 April. Candy is the daughter of Captain Jackie Moggridge, one of the pioneering female pilots that has inspired Spitfire Girls.
Captain Jackie Moggridge was just eighteen when World War Two broke out. Determined to do her bit, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary personally ferrying 1,500 aircraft from factory to frontline. Jackie was awarded the King’s Commendation For Valuable Services In The Air, went on to join the WRAF Volunteer reserves and was one of only five women to receive her RAF wings.
From Jackie’s first flight in a de Havilland Dragon Rapide in South Africa aged just fifteen to smuggling Spitfires into Burma, her daughter Candy shares the trials and tribulations, successes and frustrations of her mothers life in the sky.
Candy Adkins B.Ed. has been a mainstream teacher, a special needs teacher, a college lecturer and a business woman, but not necessarily in that order!
She is on the ATA Association Committee dedicated to keeping their WW2 stories alive and is an affiliate member of the RAF Women Officers Association. When not travelling around giving inspirational talks to interesting people, she is on the TAOS Musical Theatre Committee. Through her WW2 Women and War talks she has been interviewed by Michael Portillo, on Antiques Roadshow, the Today programme Radio 4, Virgin Radio, BBC News Breakfast, Sky News, BBC South West, ITV West Country, BBC Wales, Q.I., Bargain Hunt and on podcasts including RAF Histories and Sarah Millican’s Podcast Standard Issue recorded at The Imperial War Museum.
