Roger Stennett
Out of the Sun

The long, hot summer of 1940. On an airfield somewhere in southern England four young Spitfire pilots sit on the parched grass outside their Dispersal Hut waiting for the ring of the field telephone that will 'scramble' them into the skies - and combat.
'Desperate Dan' Anderson, Edward 'Weaver' Whyte, Jonathan 'Joker' James - all of them 'veterans' by the age of 21 - and Pilot Officer Young, a fresh-faced 'sprog', new on Squadron that morning. How will they fare between dawn and dusk? How will they fill the quiet moments between the battles up in thin air?
Today, growing old may seem a simple fact of life, but in the summer of 1940 it was a privilege that had to be earned... Out of the Sun was written to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Britain and is drawn from real life experiences. (Cast 4m)

“...the most factual Battle of Britain play I have ever read....”
~ Nick Berryman, ex-fighter pilot and chairman, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum

“[Stennett] ...has done his research, interviewing a number of Battle of Britain veterans, and his play, very much a ‘Journey’s End’ for The Second World War, hits an impressively authentic note.”
~ The Stage & Television Today

“Stennett in no way sentimentalises War. As the play progresses each character relates a disturbing incident which has affected him profoundly. In these grim and often gruesome monologues the authenticity of the source material is powerfully revealed.”
~ Plays and Players

“A well written piece with clearly defined characters and authentic 40s dialogue. Roger Stennett succeeds in sustaining the dramatic temperature with constant shifts of mood and tone. A convincing and moving piece of work.”
~ Colin Vaines, Head of Script Dept., Enigma Films