VASHTI MACLACHLAN’S last play Revolting Women was all about women’s suffrage and now she turns her attention to other trailblazing females.

All Hands on Deck, her new production for Mikron, pays tribute to those who served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens).

Following the career of Ginger (Elizabeth Robin) and Lily (Rachel Benson), it explores how their friendship is strained by their different roles and attitudes towards war.

With the former a gung-ho engineer and the latter a more reserved signaller, they challenge gendered expectations and sexist attitudes of the “mind your pretty hair-dos!” variety.

Maclachlan’s script has plenty of fun with the spiffing tropes and clipped accents of the period and the premise holds plenty of promise.

Silly Stan the Sailor Man (Christopher Arkeston) is introduced as a potential love interest for Lily and an abortive sea rescue demonstrates to  Ginger the grim realities of war and the four performers admirably acquit themselves with the live songs, scored by Kieran Buckeridge, as they swap between Andrews Sisters-style tunes and music-hall numbers.

Yet the plot lacks the dramatic tension necessary to sustain interest, with no real turning point and a failure to truly get under the skin of the characters.

Part of the problem is the easily won acceptance and respect afforded to Ginger and Lily, regardless of instances of sexism being drip-fed throughout the show — a pregnant Wren is sent home and there’s a casual reference to women workers having civilian rather than military status.

Maclachlan deserves credit for refocusing attention on the Wrens’ war effort but sadly the show only ever achieves quarter hands on deck.

Tours until May 30, details: mikron.org.uk.