The national tour of a new production of Flare Path by Terence Rattigan has been cast.
Philip Franks, who has recently toured The History Boys and The Rocky Horror Show, will play Squadron Leader Swanson. Franks's television credits include The Darling Buds of May, Heartbeat and Martin Chuzzlewit.
Olivia Hallinan, whose television credits include Larkrise To Candleford, Sugar Rush and Girls in Love, will play Patricia Graham. Hallinan was in Anya Reiss's new adaptation of Three Sisters at Southwark Playhouse last year.
Leon Ockenden, who will play Peter Kyle, is known to television watchers Prince Serge De Bolotoff in Mr Selfridge and Hector Reid in Waterloo Road; he has most recently been on stage in Plague over England in London's West End.
Alastair Whatley is currently performing in the UK tour of Birdsong prior to which his credits include Three Men in a Boat, See How They Run and the title role in Henry V at South Hill Park. Whatley will play Teddy Graham in Flare Path. He also produces for The Original Theatre Company with Anne-Marie Woodley and Jon Woodley for Birdsong Productions Ltd.
Set in wartime Britain, the story of Flare Path is based on Rattigan’s experiences as a tail gunner during World War II.
Justin Audibert directs this new production which will open on 18 August at Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, visiting Richmond, Bath, Malvern, Exeter, Cambridge, Salisbury, Winchester, Ipswich, Coventry, Liverpool and Guildford with further dates to be announced.