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| 2. The play's background |
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In 1941 Singapore and Malaya were still under British control as part of the British Empire. Singapore had been considered 'an impregnable fortress', although the British had been warned since 1938 that the Japanese were planning a major invasion. The
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| 3. Synopsis and activities: Act One |
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The play is a two-acter and is effectively also a two-hander. The audience does hear the voice of the third character—Rick, the television interviewer—but he is never seen on stage. A number of off-stage characters are also referred to throughout the
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| 4. Synopsis and activities: Act Two |
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Scene Nine
The scene opens in the studio and dominating the space is a large image of both Australian and British women bowing to the Japanese. This huge image remains throughout most of the scene and the audience cannot escape its meaning. Both Brid
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| 5. Themes and concerns |
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This is a complex play that layers issue over issue in a dramatically intricate pattern. It is important that students are able to visualise the action that is occurring on the stage. This includes not only the action between the two characters and the in
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| 6. Dramatic form and theatrical structure |
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The play is a complex non-naturalistic piece that works particularly well in a small theatre space. It uses techniques that are reminiscent of Brecht's notion of 'epic theatre'. The episodic structure with slides, sounds, music, specific lighting effects
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| 7. The characters |
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The characters in this play include not only the onstage characters of Bridie and Sheila. The voice of Rick the interviewer establishes the main off-stage character, but there are also other off-stage characters in the present and the remembered past. Jux
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| 8. Writing about the play |
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Students should have the opportunity of writing about this play in a range of ways, including imaginative recreations and analytical essays. The following selection includes imaginative recreation and analytical essays.
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