Sydney Review from Artshub 24/10/2012: Leof Kingsford-Smith gives an outstanding one-man performance, switching between characters and scenes without missing a beat, bringing Lancaster to life as a principled yet flawed, upbeat but haunted human being. This is even more impressive considering that the Independent’s large stage (what a wonderful venue it is!), devoid of any props or set design, comes across as something of a desert itself. it’s a strong production. Definitely recommended. Rating: Four stars
Edinburgh Fringe Reviews August 2010
It's a gripping portrayal of life and death as a pioneer, filled with the excitement of a less controlled and more dangerous age....It's a beautifully-evocative window into a long gone world - when heroes of aviation were greeted with tickertape parades...Kingsford-Smith convincingly evoking both the nightmareof his current plight and the complex, intertwined scenes from his past. Four Stars. (Fringe Guru 16th August 2010)
A sell out in Soho and featuring an award-winning writer and
director, Mission of Flowers is a promising choice this Fringe. It’s a
one-man show telling the life adventures of aviator and dare-devil Bill
Lancaster. Leof Kingford-Smith, as Lancaster, is an expressive
raconteur. He communicates a sense of his struggle forcibly, and
sustains the momentum to the end. The script, which keeps the audience
hooked, is based around the logbook found with Lancaster’s body twenty
years after his death, and moves between this moment - the despair of an
adventure lost – to past memories, when he longed for one to begin. Based on a real tragedy, its details are hard-hitting, and spare moments of light relief add to the finely wrought tension. (The List August 2010)
Professionalism at work (British Theatre Guide August 2010)
Masses of energy (The Scotsman August 2010)
Kingsford-Smith's delivery successfully evokes the plight and the period, and holds our attention until the play's well-crafted end. (Edinburgh Spotlight 12th August 2010)
An Accomplished performance (Edinburgh Theatre Guide August 2010)
Great gusto (Three Weeks August 2010)
Soho Theatre - London : Review
Armed with minimal props - the wing of a crashed biplane, a
battered can of water and a pilot's log book -Leof Kingsford-Smith turns in
an acting tour de force in Mission Of Flowers.
Stranded in the Sahara with a week's supply of water, aviation pioneer Bill
Lancaster fights for survival while reliving the events which brought him to
this desperate plight.
Kingsford-Smith does a remarkable job, switching effortlessly from the
parched misery and fear of the play\'s present to Lancaster\'s youth in the
trenches of World War One, his love affair with a fellow aviator, and the
adventures and disasters which lead to betrayal, rage and a cause celebre US
murder trial.
Kingsford-Smith\'s achievement lies in his finely nuanced portrayal. Heroes
and pioneers are rarely nice guys, and at the heart of this performance is a
searing insight into the sheer bloody-mindedness that sets these men and
women apart from the rest.
Keeping an audience gripped for an hour is no easy task in a one-man show,
but in Kingsford-Smith's hands it's plane sailing. (Phil Davies - ex Sunday Mirror)
Los Angeles Reviews June 2010
“This is truly a gem ……. undeniably a winner. Leof Kingsford-Smith masterfully maneuvers through the one-man show. Five stars” (Ashley Steed - Writer for LA Stage )
"Kingsford-Smith holds our attention with his gentle, authentic and beautifully modulated performance." ( Pauline Adamek- Arts Beat LA)
"Kingsford-Smith gives a tenderly rendered portrayal...When he smacks his lips, you can feel that blistering Sahara heat" LA Weekly: (Steven Leigh Morris)
"Kingsford-Smith manages to play Lancaster with charm & grace."(LA Theatre Review)
“Catch it if you can” (Colin Mitchell - Bitter-Lemons)”
