Alan Plater's play with music Blonde Bombshells of 1943, a co-production between Oldham Coliseum and Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic, moves to the Staffordshire theatre-in-the-round this week.
The play follows wartime bandleader Betty who is in trouble because half of her all-girl swing group, the Blonde Bombshells, has gone AWOL with American GIs.
The Bombshells need to recruit new talent quickly. Along come an innocent schoolgirl, a nun, an upper-class tart and a draft-dodging drummer not afraid of donning a frock if it will keep him out of national service.
A live swing band will bring to life the hits of Glenn Miller, the Andrews Sisters and Fats Waller.
Blonde Bombshells of 1943 is the third co-production between the New Vic and Oldham Coliseum. Previously they collaborated on And a Nightingale Sang in 2010 and The Glass Menagerie in 2011.
Blonde Bombshells of 1943 runs at the New Vic from Thursday (16 May) until Saturday 8 June.