Air Marshall Sir Frederick Sowrey KCB CBE Stephen Daldry CBE The Royal Air Force Theatrical Association is an association and registered charity which links theatre clubs at RAF stations around the world and provides information, training, adjudication and advice.

RAFTA undertakes a bi-annual project to put on a large show at a professional theatre using resources from all affiliated clubs.

All three of the UK Armed Services have a long history that has encouraged theatrical activity, musical revues, concert parties, and the like, as a creative outlet which has led to many service men and women becoming established actors, directors and stage technicians.

The formation of ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) in 1939 solidified the UK forces' commitment to the provision of entertainment of service personnel both in the UK and abroad and the first major wartime Variety Concert was broadcast by the BBC from RAF Hendon in North London on 17 October of that same year.

Lord Richard Attenborough CBE Pam Ayres MBE Sir Alan Bates CBE Rodney Bewes Brian Blessed OBE Richard Burton CBE Max Bygraves OBE Roy Dotrice OBE Denholm Elliott CBE Tony Hancock Sir Rex Harrison Sir Christopher Lee CBE Bob Monkhouse OBE Warren Mitchell Dudley Sutton In the 1970s it was decided that the RAF needed an umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the some 50 theatre clubs throughout the service and in 1974 RAFTA was founded by Group Captain Edgar Martyn Allies, Squadron Leader Mike Lambe and Group Captain Peter Gibson MBE.