Analysis and Activities The Shoe Horn Sonata



Nowra Christian SchoolAnalysis and Activities The Shoe Horn SonataStandard English HSC[Date]73542412242000Distinctively VisualThe Shoe Horn SonataThe play’s origins‘I do not have the power to build a memorial so I wrote a play instead.’ John MistoThe Australian Government has yet to build a memorial to the forty-one Australian army nurses who suffered during World War II. A few years before writing The Shoe-Horn Sonata, John Misto read Betty Jeffrey’s book White Coolies. Betty had been a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service and she had survived captivity as a prisoner-of-war in Sumatra and Malaya, along with twenty-three of her colleagues. War is primarily a masculine domain and wartime stories tend to focus on men and masculine exploits. Betty’s stories of the nurses’ war experiences obsessed Misto. He carried out extensive research, including interviewing many Australian women who had endured and survived prisoner-of-war camps in South-East Asia. The play The Shoe-Horn Sonata pays tribute to these women who suffered from decisions made by the British, from the deeds of Japanese soldiers and from the inaction of successive Australian governments to acknowledge their contribution or situation.Misto’s play is inspired by the famous account of Australian Army Nursing experiences in the diary of Betty Jeffrey (of the Australian Army Nursing Service), published as White Coolies in 1954 (reprinted l999, Angus and Robertson.)Reading this book as a teenager, Misto said he could not forget it and many years later, set about researching his play by interviewing many of the survivors. From these many accounts, the characters of Bridie and Sheila were constructed and the events they describe occurring between l942 and l995. Every incident they depict is factual and the symbol of the play, the shoe-horn was real.“One group of twenty two Nurses reached the north west of Banka Island and surrender to the Japanese. On the 16 February, they were ordered into the sea and machine gunned and bayoneted to death by Japanese soldiers. Only one nurse survived, Sister Vivien Bullwinkle.”From: “The Massacre of Parit Sulong” by Gilbert Mant referring to the sinking of Vyner Brooke.“One purpose of this play is to show the injustices done to the memory of the nurses, and of the thousands of other women and children who suffered with them.” John Misto: Author’s Note.This forgotten epoch of Australian history both bewildered and frustrated Misto and drove him to write this important play, the subject of which details the horrific conditions of the Women’s POW camps, five decades of Governmental silence about the Women’s incarceration, the cruelty of the Japanese, the unresponsiveness and treachery of the women by the Allied Forces, the insufficient compensation for the women in the years following, the violation of the international rules of war, the bombing of ships jam-packed with women and children, the shooting of Australian nurses and soldiers, now perceived as a ‘war crime’. Finally, the play exists as a disturbing reminder of the heartlessness of war as evidenced by the fact that the captors withheld essential medical supplies provided by the Red Cross, leaving them to lie fallow outside camp boundaries when women and children lay expiring inside, resulting in malnutrition, chronic illness and death.This play poses questions about the way we construct and communicate our history. While it focuses on the stories of the two fictional women, one British and one Australian, who were evacuated from Singapore as the Empire disintegrated, it challenges us to look beyond the pain of the two women characters at the wider social and political context that has allowed this situation to pass unacknowledged.Origin ActivitiesWhy did John Misto write this play? What do you think “plays tribute” means? (authorial context)What was Misto’s purpose in writing the play?What research did John Misto do in writing this play? (literary context)What was the historical context of the events in the play?Background to the playIn 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 British had ignored the warning. By December 1941 the Japanese had invaded, and within seventy days, captured Singapore and Malaya. As the Japanese prepared to take Singapore, the British Government refused to evacuate British nationals, arguing that it would be ‘bad for morale’. Empty ships were allowed to leave Singapore Harbour and thus when the Japanese bombed the island, thousands of people died.On 13 February 1942 the British Government finally conceded to the evacuation of civilians. Thirty-three ships heavily overloaded with thousands of women and children immediately ran into fierce Japanese naval bombardment and in a single night huge numbers of these refugee women and children were slaughtered. Those who managed to survive were taken prisoner.According to Australian army regulations nurses are not permitted at the front line; however Australian nurses found themselves right in the path of the Japanese invasions nursing the young Australian boys who had enlisted to carry out their patriotic duty. Australian nurses kept hospitals running in the middle of the battlefields.The two on-stage characters in The Shoe- Horn Sonata are a British civilian and Australian Army nurse, both evacuated from Singapore. The memories of past action that are recalled by these two characters focus on their experiences during the evacuation from Singapore and their incarceration as prisoners-of-war.Activities: Historical Background to the PlayWhat is the historical context of this play?What is the historical event this play is based on?How were Australian nurses regarded during World War II?What do you think this tells about how women were regarded at the time?(social context)Synopsis of the PlayThe play is a two-acter and is effectively a two-hander or double-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 play and the images of historical ‘characters’ are projected during theperformance establishing the wider world of theplay.The main action of the play is set in 1995, but we are also projected back in time to the events of the fall of Singapore and the subsequent ‘rescue’ by the Japanese and incarceration in prisoner-of-war camps. The scenes in the present take place in a TV studio, in the motel/hotel rooms in which they are staying during the filming of the documentary about their wartime experiencesand in a neutral space somewhere within the studio. Importantly the scenes also take us to various ‘real’ places during the war, including Singapore and Belalau via the projected visual and sound images.At one level this is the story about the meeting of two female POW survivors, Bridie Cartwright and Sheila Richards, for the first time since the end of the war fifty years previously. The two women had been evacuated from Singapore and had endured together the pain and suffering of war. The play focuses on the re-establishmentof their relationship. We observe not only their reunion but their reconciliation.Their story is told in a complex theatrical form that alerts the audience to the fact that this is not a simple narrative. The story unravels as the truths and untruths of the past are revealed. While on the one hand the focus is on the personal truths and lies, these are seen to be part of a much bigger issue: the construction of public accounts of past events. We see the way in which such public accounts obfuscate and conceal, and we see the effects of such obfuscation on individuals—‘keep smiling’.Act OneThe opening scene, with Bridie demonstrating the deep, subservient bow, the kowtow, demanded of the prisoners by their Japanese guards during tenko, transports the audience into the past action.Now in the present, Rick poses questions as music and images from the war period appear behind Bridie, establishing the element of the filming of a television documentary as Bridie is asked to arouse the events from fifty years ago. This scene establishes Bridie, and introduces the given circumstances: the recollection and re-living of memories of the years of imprisonment. This section also reveals the grave dangers the prisoners faced; over-crowded ships moving towards an enemy fleet, the fear of rape and the lack of preparedness of the British stronghold in Singapore for the offensive.In Scene Two we are introduced to Sheila and the major conflict of the play, where Misto sets up some of the issues that will arise between the Australian Bridie and the former English girl Sheila. Sheila’s arrival at the motel from Perth introduces the audience to the fact that the women have been estranged for many decades, as each seeks out basic information about personal details; marriage and children.Status and suspense are introduced when Sheila does not reciprocate Bridie’s exclamation of delight “Gee it’s good to see you,” and the audience is left wondering as to why until the end of Act One.The physical language between the two described on Page 26 indicates underlying tension and yet the scene ends with their re-enactment of an old ritual (The lifting of the suitcase as they used to lift the coffins of the dead: to the cries of Ichi, ni, san---Ya-ta!), demonstrating that their connection lies in their traumatic shared experiences. Act One continues with the shared memories of Bridie and Sheila reflecting those of the audience, through the use of dramatic techniques.Scene Three: The audience is reminded of how young Sheila was when she was taken prisoner. The voice of a teenage girl sings part of ‘Jerusalem’, the stirring and visionary song with words by English poet William Blake, and the mature Sheila joins in. The song returns later when Bridie and Sheila sing it together.We also learn in Scene Three that Bridie exhibits a protective manner when they first meet drifting in the sea after being shipwrecked. Her perception is that Sheila is “another stuck-up Pom”, and strikes her with her shoehorn to keep her awake. Sheila’s bias is then revealed, having been taught prejudice towards the Irish by her mother and indeed is the label she plants on Bridie, the Sydney nurse from Chatswood with an Irish surname.Scene Five: Further differences between the two surface in the description of the “officers’ club” set up by the Japanese. But by the end of this scene they are recalling the choir and the orchestra of women’s voices set up by Miss Dryburgh.Scene Six sees a more spirited pair in a conga line singing the parodies of well-known songs they’d used to taunt their captors and keep their spirits up before their differing attitudes and tension again emerge as revelations increase about the deteriorating conditions for the prisoners and the unrelenting deaths, particularly in the Belalau camp.At the end of the Act, Sheila returns the Shoehorn, she claimed she had sold for quinine to save Bridie’s life but in fact she traded sex for medicine with the enemy. Sheila experiences a crushing realization when she extracts from Bridie, the suggestion through silence, that she would not have done the same for her.“All these years I’ve told myself that you’d have done the same for me. [Calmly] I was wrong, though, wasn’t I?”Act TwoAct Two opens in the recording studio, as Bridie and Sheila report the appalling conditions in the death camp of Belalau where the warning from Prison guards that no prisoners would survive the war was declared, building suspense as to how this could have been possible for both our characters. Soon it becomes clear that in the years since the war ended, Sheila has led a quiet life as a librarian in Perth and has not been able to sustain a sexual relationship; nor felt able to return to Britain or to face remaining with her family in Singapore. She discloses that she drinks and experiences nightmarish recollections about Lipstick Larry. Bridie however, had been happily married for years to an Australian soldier who had flirted with her at Christmas behind the wire and is now widowed and childless.Scene Twelve: Bridie’s tells of an event where, when surrounded by a group of Japanese tourists in David Jones Food Hall, she runs away with a tin of shortbread and later pleads guilty in court to shoplifting. “I still lie awake cringing with shame,” she tells Sheila. She could not explain the truth to the court or to family and friends. The effect of this event on Sheila surprises Bridie who decides that peace can only be attained if the truth is faced publically.“There are probably thousands of survivors like us, still trapped in the war, too ashamed to tell anyone.”Scene Thirteen: It is Bridie who reveals the truth of Sheila’s courageousness and self-sacrifice when she recounts how they were rescued, after which she asks Sheila to clarify her shoplifting arrest. The tensions between the two now slowly dissolve as all confidences have been expressed. The scene ends with the assertion Bridie has been waiting five decades for:“And I’d do it all over again if I had to....’cause Bridie’s my friend...”Friendship has been restored, the Shoe-Horn returned to its rightful owner, plans made for a Christmas reunion, and the dance they had promised each other in the camp ensues as The Blue Danube, music of joy and triumph and survival,” plays.Activities: SynopsisAct / SceneMain historical featuresWhere is this scene set?What other settings does this scene refer to in the dialogue or stage direction?What is revealed about Bridie and Sheila’s experience of the war?What is the purpose of this scene?I, iI, iiI, iiiI, ivI, vI, viI, viiI, viiiI, ixI, xII, xiII, xiiII, xiiiAnalysis of the BOS Prescriptions for UnitModule A: Experience Through Language – Distinctively VisualThis module requires students to explore the uses of a particular aspect of language. It develops students’ awareness of language and helps them to understand how our perceptions of and relationships with others and the world are shaped in written, spoken and visual language.Each elective in this module requires study of a prescribed text through a key aspect of language. This provides the basis for the study and use of this aspect of language in other texts, including texts drawn from students’ own experience. Students examine particular language structures and features used in the prescribed text and in a range of situations that they encounter in their daily lives. They explore, examine and analyse how the conventions of textual forms, language modes and media shape meaning. Composition focuses on experimentation with variations of purpose, audience and form to achieve different effects. These compositions may be realised in a variety of forms and media. (Refer to the English Stage 6 Syllabus, p 30.)Elective 2: Distinctively Visual In their responding and composing, students explore the ways the images we see and/or visualise in texts are created. Students consider how the forms, features and language of different texts create these images, affect interpretation and shape meaning. Students examine one prescribed text, in addition to other related texts of their own choosing that provide examples of the distinctively visual. Students will choose one of the following texts as the basis for their further exploration of the elective Distinctively Visual. Deconstruction of Syllabus ContentYou need to cut these out and align these suggestions with the syllabus description for Distinctively Visual. Go through each sentence and you will find each of the following ideas.Once you have completed this, make list of features of the text that you think you will need to cover in this unit.The ‘Distinctively Visual’ elements we see that are obvious and relate specifically to the form of the text- a play; examine the literal images: photographs used as props; other props used on the stage to differentiate the set of the television studio from the hotel rooms; use of light or darkness on the stage for metaphysical effect and reflection or transition between scenes; facial expressions, body language or actions of the actors; positioning on the stage - centre front or to the side – impacts on how we see the characters or the power they have onstage; other props such as the recurring motif of the shoe-horn and the Red Cross postcard as tangible evidence of the experienceThe ‘Distinctively Visual’ elements we must use our imaginations to visualise: the imagined images – what we don’t see but know to exist; verbal flashbacks, descriptive explanations, olfactory and other sentient imageryHow the form of Misto’s text presents the opportunity to explore ‘Distinctively Visual’ elements – dialogue, stage directions, director’s notes; how verbal imagery creates images of the past or present; historical language. How language affects interpretation – impact of the dialogue on the other characters in the cast; close examination of how verbal imagery creates the range of perspectives of the experiences of each womanHow form affects interpretation – drama - play - written versus stage performance – impact of gestures; action on the stage; interaction with props and other characters in the cast; characterisation; costuming; score; lighting; sound effects; symbols; set construction, audience interactionHow form shapes meaning – audience expectations; impact of theatre as a political, social and cultural medium; impact of sets in engaging and providing context for the audienceHow language shapes meaning – accessibility of language; simplicity of language; colloquial versus formal language for characterisation; historical references; use of specific verbs, adverbs, adjectives in stage directions; use of dashes and ellipsis to create carefully constructed pauses allowing audience to ‘visualise’ emotional and psychological interaction beyond the ‘visual’ of the stage; how verbal imagery shapes our emotional response to the women and to the experience of prisoners of war and the Japanese in the play’s historical context of captivity during World War II; gendered meanings presented through the juxtaposition of the language and visualsYou will need to consider the techniques that need to be deconstructed that are explicitly and literally visual as well as deconstructing the language features of the script itself. You should consider how visual metaphors are created by the juxtaposition of photographs and props, characters and staging when combined with the language of the script itself.Key Terms in the Study of EnglishThis syllabus uses some terms in specific ways to describe complex processes and concepts. A detailed glossary appears in Section 16 for reference purposes. Key terms used to describe the study of English in the syllabus are outlined below.Responding is the activity that occurs when students read, listen to, or view texts. It encompasses the personal and intellectual connections a student makes with texts. It also recognises that students and the texts to which they respond reflect social contexts. Responding typically involves:?reading, listening and viewing that depend on, but go beyond, the decoding of texts?identifying, comprehending, selecting, articulating, imagining, critically analysing and posing is the activity that occurs when students produce written, spoken, or visual texts. Composing typically involves:?the shaping and arrangement of textual elements to explore and express ideas, emotions and values ?the processes of imagining, drafting, appraising, reflecting and refining?knowledge understanding and use of the language forms, features and structures of texts.Texts in English Stage 6 are communications of meaning produced in any medium that incorporates language, including sound, print, film, electronic and multimedia. Texts include written, spoken, nonverbal or visual communication of meaning. They may be extended unified works or presented as a series of related pieces. Context is used in its broadest sense. It refers to the range of personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace conditions in which a text is responded to and composed. Language modes refers to the modes of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and representing*. These modes are often integrated and interdependent activities used in responding to and composing texts in order to shape meaning. It is important to realise that:?any combination of the modes may be involved in responding to or composing print, sound, visual or multimedia texts; and?the refinement of the skills in any one of the modes develops skills in the others. Students need to build on their skills in all language modes.Representing is the language mode that involves composing images by means of visual or other texts. These images and their meaning are composed using codes and conventions. The term can include activities such as graphically presenting the structure of a novel, making a film, composing a web page, or enacting a dramatic text.Language forms and features is the term used to refer to the symbolic patterns and conventions that shape meaning in texts. These vary according to the particular mode or medium of production and can include written, spoken, nonverbal or visual communication of meaning.Structures of texts is the term used to refer to the relationship of different parts of a text to each other, and to the text as a complex whole.Suggested Sentence StartersSynonyms for composer can and should be used for each different text type: poet author, write, reporter, cartoonist, artist, novelist, filmmaker, director, producer, scriptwriter, The [author]/ [composer’s name] suggests… The [poet]/ [composer’s name] provides opportunities… The [playwright]/ [composer’s name] challenges… The [speaker]/ [composer’s name] purpose if to … The [filmmaker]/ [composer’s name] highlights… The [director]/ [composer’s name] use of [technique]… The [photographer]/ [composer’s name] presents… The [designer [composer’s name] explores…. The [artist]/ [composer’s name] has presented… [Name of composer] uses his/his text to (convey, challenge, inform, educate, challenge, provoke, suggest, impart, communicate, develop, reveal, provide insight, expose, deliberate, construct) The composer uses his text to portray a view of… The composer has used… Synonyms for ‘text’ should be inserted to identify the text type being discussed such as: poem, short story, newspaper article, song lyric, speech, novel, fiction text, website, image, artwork, documentary, etc The text suggests… The text provides opportunities… The text challenges… The text highlights… The text provokes… The text indicates… The text educates… The context (social, cultural. political, religious, gender, historical, intellectual, personal) is (suggested, exposed, highlighted) through the use of… The context has been highlighted through the development of… The composer has provided a contextual focus by…. Contextually the text suggests… The values of the text are conveyed through the use of… The composer’s values are exposed when… The composer’s values are exposed by… Values of….. are explored through the text using… The audience for the text is suggested through…. The audience for the text is suggested by… The use of [technique] highlights, suggests, infers, develops understanding, exposes, provokes, informs, Techniques such as…. have been used to (expose, highlight, provoke, suggest, initiate discussion, provide opportunities, inform, educate, develop an understanding of)… The theme of ….. is developed through the issue of…. The theme of …..is highlighted… The theme of ….. is explicitly stated…. The theme of ….. is implicit rather than explicitly stated using…. The theme of ….. is exposed… The issue of ….. (is exposed, highlighted, suggested, inferred, paralleled by, implied, intimated, headlined, given priority) through …. A critical reading of the text suggests… A critical analysis of the text provides opportunities to… Close reading of the text provides insight into… Synonyms such as viewer, reader, author etc can be developed here The responder/audience/ viewer/ understands… The responder/audience/ viewer/’s impression is… The responder/audience/ viewer/ is persuaded to… The impact on the responder/audience/ viewer/ reminds us that… The responder/audience/ viewer/ becomes convinced of… The responder/audience/viewer develops… Sentence starters relating to Distinctively Visual Conceptually, ‘Distinctively Visual’ is highlighted through… Distinctively Visual, as a concept, is highlighted through… Distinctively Visual, both literally and conceptually, is exposed through… Literally, the ‘Distinctively Visual’ is presented through… ‘Distinctively Visual’ images are a manifestation of… The moral insights gained from the constructed images suggest…. The concept of Distinctively Visual is developed through… The composer engages with the conceptual premises inherent to ‘Distinctively Visual’ through… The composer engages with the concept of Distinctively Visual using… In transforming the relationship between… the composer is suggesting… Transformation takes place through…. The concept of ‘Distinctively Visual’ is effectively conveyed through… The composer explores the effects of image through… The transition from … to…. Suggests a changing (perception, understanding, view) of …. The use of illustrative dialogue (suggests, conveys, exposes, develops, provides)… Visualisation of the theme is (discussed, exposed, inferred, developed) in order to…. Juxtaposing the three texts provides… Juxtaposition of the texts suggests… Juxtaposing [the text] alongside [the text]….suggests opportunities to explore… Analysis of the three texts suggests… A critical reading of all three texts provides… Both texts explore… All three texts expose… The texts suggests... each text portrays… A balanced discussion of …………….. is maintained through… Bias becomes evident when… Negation of the rights of the individual become apparent through the… A discomforting visual of… confronts us to… The nascent implications located in the… The visual of… challenges the moral rectitude of… The metaphysical imagery constructed by the poet leads us to… The narrative qualities present quintessential insights into… Philosophically speaking, the … Existential ideas about identity are explored through images of… Self awareness, an epiphany depicting…becomes apparent through… The subtlety of the character’s awareness of…is evident in… Our views on … are challenged by… Our views on …are provocatively engaged through… Historical interpretations are negated and revised through the language of… Disturbing awareness of the implications of…become evident in… Increasing awareness of …. allows us to… The exposition of…is damning as… Representations of gender as a minority provide opportunities to explore… An uncomfortable reminder of the consequences of captivity becomes apparent through… The staging/ cinematography/language expel any sense of… The constructs evident in the purposeful choice of [language/film technique/ dramatic devices] create doubt in terms of… Inspirational mantras of…evolve out of the challenges evident in… The disparate nature of individuals and an awareness of how they visualise insights is located in… Alternate views of history are exposed through… We are compromised by the historical metanarrative as it… The cultural and gender constraints of history represented in … reinforce notions of… The resonance of… exposes… Moral codas are revealed and sustained through … Social, cultural and moral disintegration of individuals is depicted through… The impact of…becomes evident in… The chronicling of events in a coherent structure allows insight into… Political and philosophical ideas about…convey the innate need to… Allegorical representations force us to recognise… Speculation arises when the expectations of …. confront our pre-existing view of… Images of Empire and colonialism are a confronting reminder of… Traditional boundaries of…are exposed and shattered as… The dramatic realities of captivity become apparent through… The structural premise echoes the voice of each of us when we are confronted by… Attitudinal responses need to be equated with the… Misto’s use of literal images immediately creates connotations of…. The metaphorical implication of the images forces us to…. Bridie’s developing awareness of her own hubris initiates a discussion of… Sheila’s epiphany is evidenced through… Confronting reminders of cultural difference are explored through images of… The motif of the shoe-horn is used to construct images of… Frightening images of…are constructed through both descriptive and aural imagery emphasising… The juxtaposition of image and dialogue presents insight into… Figurative language is used to… The photographs are an explicit reminder of… Gendered images of war are presented through… The correlative of image and dialogue extends the notion of… Alarming imagery of …is presented through the expressive dialogue… A disturbing sense of evil is exposed through Sheila’s depiction of… The shoe-horn is used both literally and figuratively to express… The explicit use of historical photographs in Scene… constructs… The historical context is implied through the literal images of… Propaganda and image have been used to… Comparisons between the male and female experience is presented through images of… Bridie’s representations of the physical condition of the women highlights… Inferred imagery of Empire and its associations is referenced by Bridie to… Sheila’s representations of self are identified through images of… The discourse of imagery, both literal and figurative as being a means to understand experience is explored through… Images of….allows us to recognise… The props present imagery that orients the audience allowing them to… Fear is constructed through the imagery of… Reconciliation between the women and their experience can be seen through Sample HSC Essay Questions (a) ‘How has your study of the ‘Distinctively Visual’ presented you with opportunities to challenge your perception of self and the world? Make reference to your core text and at least ONE text of your own choosing. (b) ‘Effective imagery is always sensory’ To what extent is this statement true in relation to the texts you have studied? Make reference to your core text and at least ONE text of your own choosing. (c) ‘We are challenged by the images constructed in texts as they force us to examine the way we respond to the values of others.’ How has this idea presented in the texts you have studied? Make reference to your core text and at least ONE text of your own choosing. Analysis of the TextAnalysis - Act One, Scene OneThe play begins in darkness and silence. The voice of Bbridie comes out of this empty space. Bridie is explaining the kowtow, although it not immediately clear who her auidienceaudience is. This has the immediate effect of engagingengaging the theatre audience in her story. We hear a male voice questing her and once the “On Air” sign becomes visible we become aware that we are in a TV studio, although we never see the male interviewer. Bridie answer the questions put to her with a sense of candour (honesty) that seems to take the interviewer by surprise. She tells of her enlistment and the evacuation of Singapore. The shoe-horn is introduced, although at this stage we do not see it or yet understand its significance. Her story is punctuated by the song,, “Fall In Brother” and the slide projections of posters and photographs of women enlisting.The glass of water on the table beside her evokes a sense of minimal survival. The scene ends in a moment of darkness with the reverberating sound of “Rule Britannia” and the projection of slodes of prosperous Singapore before the fall, signifying the last bastion of the British Empire. Note the playwright’s comment on the last slide that projects the words: “Don’t Listen to Rumour” – “If only they had …”Complete the following summary of Act One, Scene One.The play begins in _________________ and _______________. The voice of Bridie comes out of this empty space. Bridie is explaining the 'kowtow' although it is not immediately clear who her ______________________ is. This has the ____________ of ____________ the theatre audience in her story. We hear a male voice questioning her and once the 'on air' sign becomes visible we become aware that we are in a _________________, although we never actually see the male interviewer. Bridie answers the questions put to her with a sense of _______________ that seems to take the interviewer almost by surprise. She tells of her enlistment and the evacuation of ___________________ . The ______________ is introduced although at this stage we do not see it or yet understand its significance. Her story is punctuated by the song, 'Fall in Brother' and the slide projections of _____________ and ___________ of women enlisting. The glass of water on the table beside her evokes a sense of minimal survival. The scene ends in a moment of _______________ with the reverberating sound of 'Rule Britannia' and the projection of slides of prosperous Singapore before the fall, signifying the last bastion of the ____________ ___________ . Note the ________________ comment on the last slide that projects the words, 'Don't listen to rumour' - 'If only they had ...'SilenceEffectShoe-hornTV studioPostersDarknessEngagingDarknessPlaywright’sSingaporeAudienceCandourBritish EmpirePhotographsComplete the following table:Dramaturgical / Language DeviceDirect Quotation from textHow it adds to establishing main ideas of the playVisual juxtaposition of imagesStage directions“Darkness. Out of the silence comes the voice BRIDIE.” Stage DirectionCreates audience anticipation; audience is questioning and disorientated; it immerses the audience in Bridie’s narrative and there is an absence of visual prompts on the stageStage Directions images of young women recruitsStage directions present the score to be used for this scene. As a marching song it is used to accompany a montage of images projected onto the screen. According to Crispin Taylor, the first director to present this play, the images were placed on large screens, using multiple projectors; a challenging and quite technologically advanced objective at the time of production. These images are of nurses to reinforce Bridie’s assertions of young women, embarking off the ships in Johore Bahrum, the laughter expressing innocence and happiness, unaware of the future that lay ahead. These images are from the Australian War Memorial and as such, are historical artefacts of the experience. The visuals are historical documents that provide veracity to the historical nature of Misto’s text. The need to keep the literal images as backdrops was imperative in terms of presenting historical context; however, these images were not allowed to predominate and were used as transitions to allow the visual impact of the women themselves in terms of body language and facial gestures – explicitly and noted in detail in the stage directions provided by Misto – and of the dialogue, to be ‘seen’. Off stage voice overRICK: Forty four ships times three hundred people. (Surprised) There were 13,000 of you! P. 22Creates surprise and incredulity (disbelief / astonishment); this created because the story is so little known; reflects the audiences astonishmentDramatic ironyImageryBRIDIE: When the guard cries our “Keirei!” – the female stands at complete attention, then bends her upper body – sp. ( BRIDIE triers to straighten up from this demonstration …”The audience has a visual portrayal in front due to the imagery in the speech and the acting of the life of women in the Japanese prisoner of war camps.This is juxtaposed to the images used in this scene of the recruitment propaganda posters of healthy smiling women in the armed services.Emotive languageMotifShoe-horn is introduced as Bridie narrates in her monologue her father’s response to her enlisting on p. 20“There are three things every young soldier should know. Always use a shoe-horn …”The motif is introduced and the audience is unaware of its abiding significance in the play. Although it begins to symbolise the women’s powerlessness against violence in the war and in a patriarchal society. Eventually it comes to symbolise the sacrifice of friendship.juxtapositionColloquial languageUse of musicRule BritanniaIs juxtaposed to BRIDIE’s disgust of the British’s failure to take the invasion of Singapore seriously and jeopardise the women’s safety. “Rule Britannia” is a jingoistic (patriotic / nationalistic) British song celebrating the British Empire.Analysis - Act One, Scene TwoThe lighting stage change reveals a scene shift to a motel room in Melbourne. Bridie now enters with Sheila who has just arrived. Sheila is carrying a pair of gloves and from this and her attitude to the porter we are made aware of her British origins. The playwright indicates that there is tension between the two women. Part of the puzzle for the audience is in establishing whether this tension is something that exists in the present, or whether its origins go back into the past. Their dialogue reveals a sense of ambivalence (indecision / uncertainty) in tehri reunion and we learn that it is fifty years since they have seen each other. We become aware of the existence of Myra, one of the off-stage characters. As they manoeuvre around each other and their questions and accusations, they move to a point where their shared past experiencebrings them to co-operate in the lifting of the suitcase in the rhythm of Japanese counting. The playwrightnotes that this dramatic action is to sound “almost like a war cry” and it is followed by a “blackout”.Use the phrases below to complete the following summary of Act One, Scene Two.The lighting stage change reveals ..........................................................................................Bridie now enters with ……………………………………………………………………………..Sheila is carrying a pair of gloves and from this and her attitude to the porter …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The playwright indicates that there is ....................................................................................……………………………………………………………………….whether this tension is something that exists in the present, or whether its origins go back into the past. ………………………………………………………………………………………..and we learn that it is fifty years since they have seen each other. As they manoeuvre around each other and their questions and accusations, they move to a point where their ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………The playwright notes that this ……………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………a scene shift to a motel room in Melbournedramatic action is to sound 'almost like a war cry' and is followed by a 'blackout'.Part of the puzzle for the audience is in establishingshared past experience brings them to co-operate in the lifting of the suitcase in the rhythm of Japanese counting. Sheila who has just arrivedtension between the two women.Their dialogue reveals a sense of ambivalence in their reunionwe are made aware of her British origins. Complete the following table:Dramaturgical / Language DeviceDirect Quotation from textHow it adds to establishing main ideas of the playextensive stage directions for gestures, facial and body language SymbolismmetaphorHearing aidp. 24“SHIELA: You say something then? You’ll have to talk into the good ear.BRIDIE: Good ear? [Notices the hearing aid and says quite loudly.] How’s that?”gloves[SHIELA is carrying gloves.]Dialogue: BRIDIE: She was sure you’d consider it – ‘unrefined’ – going on television – airing your feelings. SHEILA: … Well you’ve got to admit it’s not very ‘dignified.’ P. 25Literal and metaphorical silence; It comes to symbolise or represent visually, through performance and dialogue, that she is has “silenced” her own experience of the war and is reluctant for them to be “heard”.Misto then extends the “hearing aid” metaphor to represent the silencing byt the British and Australian governments of the women’s experience in Balalau as Japanese POWs.Idea of covering up; represents Shiela’s ideas of dignity and sophistication and what it means to be “British”, what is proper; and then visualises the tension and differences between the women; for Shiela it shows her ideas of femininity and lady-like behaviours which heightens her sacrifice for Bridie.IronyParadoxVisual tension and paradoxThe lifting of the suitcase the level of discomfort and tension. The women join together to lift the suitcase but are very agitated with each other as shown in the stage directions. In the end they act out a memory from their time in the POW camps of lifting coffins. The visual juxtaposition with the dialogue further increases the tension. The scene ends as the two elderly women let out a cry of “Ya-ta” which is almost “like a war-cry” according to the stage directions.pp. 26-29The connection they had at the camp is fraught and fragile. The lifting of the suitcase shows common experiences and memories and the use of Japanese language elevates the tension as it creates a visual image of their connectedness.Writing Activity One Overview (Topic Sentence)What aspect of the relationship between Bridie and Sheila is Misto highlighting in this scene? Level One (Technique and Example)What dramatic techniques are used in this scene? (Provide ONE with an example)What visual elements are evident in this scene ? (Provide ONE with an example)Level Two (Purpose)How do visual and dramatic techniques within this scene dramatise the tension? Level Three (Analysis)How do the visual element and language techniques reveal the power relationship between the two women? (Analysis)Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Act One, Scene ThreeThis scene opens with the nostalgic sound of a 1940s song – “Something to Remember You By” which is to take on an almost ironic meaning as the play continues and which we eventually connect with the shoe-horn. Sheila’s nervousness in the television interview situation allows Bridie to assume the more powerful stance, and we assume that this is the role that she played in the relationship in earlier times.The voice of the interviewer continues with questions about the evacuation of Singapore and Sheila’s upper class British origins are confirmed. As Sheila recounts these events from her perspective, we see slides projected depicting the reality of the situation and hear Bridie’s verbal and non-verbal interactions which indicate not only her attitude to the situation but also to her memory and construction of the events.As the interview probes Sheila’s feelings, we hear and see the reality of the situation that she is describing. We hear waves and the sound of young Sheila singing “Jerusalem” and images of the bombing and destruction of Singapore. The unfolding memories takes on its own rhythm as the two women in dialogue tell the story of their time in the water before the approach of the Japanese.The shoe-horn which has been introduced in the opening scene begins to take on new meaning as Bridie describes how she used it to keep Sheila conscious during this ordeal. We also learn that the shoe-horn was “lost” during the war. The arrival of the Japanese is graphically presented to the audience with the sound of the waves, the singing of “Jerusalem” and the illumination of the Japanese flag. It is at this point that the two women are joined by their memories with the linking of hands on stage as the Japanese voices are heard. The scene ends with a crescendo as the singing continues under the images of the Japanese invasion of Singapore and the fall of Empire is complete.Analysis ActivitiesRead the following summary of Scene Three. As you read, highlight dramaturgical and language techniques in one colour and highlight the effect in another colour. Highlight visual elements or imagery in another colour. (e.g. projections of images, imagery, mannerisms etc) that refer to specifically visual elements or imagery. The sections you need to highlight are underlined.This scene places the focus on Sheila’s story presenting both the similarities and differences between the women. The parallels are evident - both have had the same experience; they have common memories and unique insights into the other which, despite the fifty years of separation – presents images that highlights unity with all its accompanying tension. The scene begins with the two women in a studio; their dialogue is presented in voice over as they settle in to the interview. The tension and nervousness between them is obvious through the body language embedded in the dialogue and the antagonistic nature of the retorts between them. The interviewer is focussed on Sheila’s narrative of events thus driving the plot in terms of events and in introducing her story as the other key protagonist of the play. The male voice, Rick, immediately engages with the confronting question of why Sheila had remained in Singapore despite the threat of Japanese attack implying the lack of foresight by the British. Sheila’s response suggests that she has been raised with a sense of propriety – and that her mannerisms and cultural understandings of the world echo the historical perspective of Empire. The use of slides at this juncture presents literal images that present the evacuation. Misto’s stage directions not only direct the actors here, he uses them to present his personal reflection and commentary – and as these comments would not be spoken on the stage presents insight into his deep sympathy for the victims of the disaster that impacted on women affected by the experience. Imagery is presented in the humourous but ironic depiction of the instructions given to Sheila by her mother which are a concrete parallel with those presented by Bridie’s father. Confronting imagery is presented here by Sheila who describes the contrasting idyllic imagery of what the women and children thought was a brief, if not crowded sojourn (stop / rest) to the horrors and panic emphasised by the reference to spotlights.The staging echoes the verbal imagery with Sheila standing in a spotlight on the stage; her monologue continues presenting graphic imagery of the events – the clarity of her memory is confronting – especially considering the first audience for this play consisted of many women who had experienced this exact event. Similes, imperative verbs, and the first person account- sustain the tension and panic of the event, however, the stage directions suggest the language is presented ‘calmly’. Misto is creating here an almost objective account – void of emotion which is further emphasised by the interviewer’s questions about whether Sheila was afraid at this point and her denial of being so – at least with this perspective of memory. Bridie’s re-entering of the action in a brief statement of dialogue at this point negates the calm and unemotional narrative reinforcing Sheila’s British stiff upper lip agenda - provoking Rick to press for Sheila’s emotional response. Sentience (is the ability to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively) is constructed for the audience through the sound effects of lapping waves – the sensory imagery meant to take both audience and Sheila back to the event – a form of aural flashback. Sheila’s response presents the images of darkness, the smothering effect of oil, the isolation, and her own remembered images of warmth when she was experiencing shock and the effects of the cold water. The stage directions tell us here that this religious connotation is extended and embedded in Sheila’s British Christian concept of self. A young voice, the young Sheila, sings Jerusalem presenting rousing images of Empire used to fortify the patriotism of its inhabitants. The verb ‘whimpering’, in contrast, is used by Misto suggesting the image of a fragile and frightened child belying the representation Sheila is attempting to present as an adult. The poignancy of the voices of the young (off stage voice) and old Sheila (onstage) connect the past and the present. The lines from Jerusalem imply imagery of deliverance and salvation. The bathos (Bathos is a story-telling technique that follows serious ideas with the commonplace or ludicrous. The juxtaposition of these ideas creates humour.) presented in her evaluation of the event, and the fact that she was there in the sea with ‘no gloves’ and her comments about being at school and living in the privileged world of chaperones creates a stark image of vulnerability and reinforces Bridie’s comments. Explicit images are presented on stage again allowing a transition point in the dialogue, to shift from Sheila’s perspective of events to Bridie’s. The experience in image has shifted from smiling faces boarding ships to slides depicting the bombing of Singapore harbour with confronting images of ships burning and smoke filled skies to sustain the historical narrative. Bridie’s account also reinforces the sense of calm that she experienced or remembers experiencing as the Vyner Brooke was attacked by the Japanese. The counting of the bombs, the fact that so many missed and that it only took one to lead to the demise of the ship and so many lives presents provocative imagery. Images of death and the lack of organisation impact on the audience; the visceral images of raw burned hands and women sliding down ropes to the water emphasises the ingenuity and pragmatism of the experience. Childhood reflections of conversations with her father and of not being able to swim add weight to the tension of the scene. Bridie then recounts her first meeting with Sheila which is once again punctuated by the British propriety she maintains. The imaginary shoe horn is reprised here signifying its importance to the play as a motif; the sensory imagery of water, cold, hitting, splashing culminates in both women singing lines, once again from Jerusalem, this time about mental strength, both in their memories and on stage. Use the above analysis of the scene to complete the table below. You will need to complete this in your own notes.Dramaturgy / Language / Visual ElementExplicit Example from play (doesn’t have to be a direct quote)How it creates meaning in the play?ImageryMotifShoe-hornsymbolismGlovesBody language and mannerismsSensory imageryImages of darknessMonologueBathos and humourSimilesMusic - JerusalemSound – waves lappingWriting Activity Two Act One, Scene Three is a very important and visually affective (emotional) moment in the play. When we write about texts selecting the best examples of the text is very important on our writing. We cannot possibly include everything in a playscript in an essay. It is my belief that this scene is a pivotal aspect of the play and important to know well and to write about well.Overview (Topic Sentence)Write a brief summary of the complexity of the relationship between Bridie and Shelia in this scene.. Level One (Technique and Example)What techniques are used to contrast the two women? (There may be more than one, but you should not just list them, name one or two and provide examples)Level Two (Purpose)How is the contrast heightened in the scene?Level Three (Analysis)How do the visual element and language techniques reveal the shared experience and vulnerability between Shelia and Bridie?Paragraph Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Writing Activity Three OverviewWrite a brief summary of the dramatic change the women experienced the night they are recounting. Level One (Technique and Example)How is symbolism used to show the dramatic change recounted in this scene?How is humour generated in this scene?Level Two (Purpose)As a result of the techniques above, what is the mood of Shelia’s speech?Level Three (Analysis)Why is there such a contrast between the characters at this point in the play?Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Writing Activity Four OverviewDescribe the visual imagery in this scene. Level One (Technique and Example)List three or four key uses of imagery in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples)Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene provoke audience response?Level Three (Analysis)Why are the images deliberately so shocking and provocative? (Hint: Misto is making a comment about war and the reality of lived experience)Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Act One, Scene FourThis scene occurs in the motel room after the previous interview scene. As the two women review the interview we see their different responses to the process of dredging up these memories. Some of these are class and cultural differences we see from their dialogue. The tensions that we witnessed in an earlier scene are still evident and the reasons for them are still not clear to the audience.As they reflect on the interview, their conversation turns to their memories and this time they relive a moment of comic delight as they replay the sticking of the pin in Lipstick Larry’s loin cloth. This incident is played out a play-within-a-play as they are both recalling the past and enacting how they will talk about it to the camera. Then enacting it as if a camera were there to capture their performance. The scene then concertinas into one image as the sounds of Lipstick Larry punctuate their performance. There is a blackness in this performance – the beating of the young Bridie and Sheila’s attempt to save her from it – a premonition (forewarning / hunch / omen) of something more deep and powerful that is later to be revealed. The played moment then rbings the audience back into the present and there is a moment of reality as they stand now at a distance from the sound of Lipstick Larry beating Bridie.The scene ends with the sounds continuing as the two women in the present clink galsses – a dramatic action that signals their reunion.How have the women reacted to their television interview? How is the huimour used to convey their different attitudes?Name of characterResponse to watching the interviewAttitudes to the British that is demonstrated (use quotes and techniques)BridieSheilaComic relief is used in the making of the loin cloths. What insights do we get into Bridie as well as her relationship with Sheila?Further AnalysisIn this following analysis the dramatic and language techniques are bolded. The idea are underlined. The purpose and effect of the dramatic and language techniques are in italics. You are to read through this analysis with a peer and complete the tables. Purpose verbs are underlined and in italics. As you read through you should highlight these in different colours to make it more obvious.This scene uses tone and mood to construct the juxtaposing image of tension and friendship between the two women. The literal images of interaction and the body language and expressions used on the stage are powerful and real. The power of this performance lies in its ability to confront audiences with the veracity truth of the shared experience; the characters represent the sense of easy familiarity we have with people we have been intimately involved with and how that shifts and changes, or, can be reprised so readily even after fifty years of separation. Misto’s stage directions present many references to looking or seeing in this scene – Bridie closely examining the menu – the focus not really about what is on the menu or highlighting the malapropism (malapropism - the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an amusing effect (e.g. ‘dance a flamingo ’ instead of flamenco ),), rather, it is about not seeing - trying to avoid the gulf of unspoken thoughts and emotions that have been repressed during the period since the women last saw each other. Other distraction techniques are employed - picking up the glass and fussing, all creating a busyness on the stage rather than the inevitability of these women really sharing and remembering; the actions imply a fear of stopping, of saying what needs to be said and the dramatic tension of the play builds. The stage directions here to engage with how the women interact and how the adverbs used present the intended visual to be constructed for the audience.Misto’s dialogue for Sheila directs us to look at and experience her hearing aid – an excuse for shutting off in previous scenes to one of static in this scene – selective deafness is one thing but here Sheila’s actions and dialogue force us to consider the noise that she has heard, that the memories themselves, instinctual visceral and confronting, still resonate despite the time that has passed. Sheila also refers to the lights in the studio - the bright lights of the studio are metaphorical reminders of her fears being exposed, of being judged and thus becoming vulnerable once more – anathema which is abhorrent (hated) to her sense of British identity.The tensions only begin to ease once Sheila proceeds to leave the room. The scene shifts to reveal the power relationship between the women in the camp. Sheila’s claim that she was ordered around by Bridie reinforces the ways in which the women encouraged and protected each other during their captivity. Once again the adverbs in the stage directions imply tone and mood allowing us to engage with the real tension, fear and relationship the two women have experienced in the past. The complexity of Misto’s agenda purpose resonates in the dialogue: the need to negotiate between criticising the English and their hubristic pride filled ignorance which resulted in the extensive loss of life and being ‘seen’ as being racist towards the Japanese. Time has shifted the political perspectives and racial derision which was so strongly asserted during WWII (already referred to in early scenes in the language of Bridie’s father and Sheila’s mother); to some extent, this play highlights the challenges of coming to terms with what happened or being able to speak about it by those who suffered at the hands of such cruelty.The reflective stance, begun when Sheila pretends to face the camera – direct address to the audience – presents a visual recount of Sheila’s memories of Lipstick Larry. The name presents humourous visual connotations; however, these connotations become further reinforced by the images of loin cloths, boxer shorts and rusty pins. The culmination of this scene reinforces the bonds that unite the women; their laughter and humour is bittersweet however, as even a humourous memory reminds them of the ever-present fear and danger, control and disempowerment they experienced. Misto’s stage directions, or aside if one likes, presents the idea that for just a moment the women had defeated the enemy – giving them psychological empowerment.The sound effects off stage presents confronting aural imagery of the violence perpetrated against the women. We do no need to see the beating to feel and experience the immense pain it would have brought in terms of sentient emotional memories for the first audience – and indeed for subsequent audiences. In hindsight, whilst both women can laugh at the remembered images, the audience sees with poignant reality, why the bond exists between the women. The scene ends dramatically, the sensory experience of sounds of a women being beaten and the blackness of the stage present the metaphor of loss – dignity and freedom of the women and the lack of integrity of the captors.Read the scene summary.Write summary statements about the ideas in this scene.What is the tension in their relationship that is continued from previous scenes?What is being said about seeing the truth in this scene? What is being said about memory in this scene?How is the violence against women portrayed in this scene?Complete the following table. You should complete this following table expanded in your own notes.TechniquesExamples of Techniques and quotations from Shoe HornVisual Elements – Effect of visual elements of the textTensions in their relationshipTone and moodBody language and performance on stageStage directionsLooking and seeing the truthDialogueLightingUse of adverbsViolence against womenDirect address to audienceUse of humourSound effects off stageeAct One, Scene FiveThis scene takes us back into the studio and we are once again in the middle of an interview. The focus of this phase of the interview is on the sinking of the Vyner Brooke and the incarceration in the prisoner-of-war camp. The scene begins with the ironic sound of ‘Happy Times’, juxtaposed with the sound of ‘machine-gun fire’ and ‘the cries of women’. Behind the words of Bridie and Sheila are photographs of women in the camps and a Japanese soldier. This scene reveals more of the tensions between the two women as each reconstructs her own memory of their shared ordeal. This ordeal included being ‘available’ for Japanese soldiers. Bridie recounts the situation of ‘Lavender Street’—and how the women who had been set up tricked the Japanese by supposedly coughing up blood, simulating tuberculosis.We learn of the ever-present hunger of the prisoners as the two women recount the story of the bone in the context of the contempt in which the Japanese soldiers held women. It is at this point when Bridie produces the ‘concrete evidence’ in the form of the chop bone, that we begin to realise the difficulty that the interviewer is experiencing in articulating the questions that he wants to ask, and we come to see how well the women have dealt with the horrors of their incarceration. We are also once again faced with notions of reality, truth, memory and reconstructions of the past. The scene moves to another moment of reconciliation between the women as the shoe-horn once again features, this time as a metronome, and we hear of the singing that sustained the women in the camp. This information is underscored by the playing of ‘Bolero’ which builds to a climax, with Bridie conducting, as the scene plete the following overview table, by listing details from the sceneSettingDetails from Scene 5Historical Details revealed in the sceneMusic and SoundMotifsIdeasFurther AnalysisThis scene presents confronting imagery of death; callous actions of the Imperial Japanese Army resulting in the brutal deaths of Australian soldiers, nurses and civilians (albeit defended by the vagaries of war); starvation – of women and children and of the sexual and predatory behaviour some women were forced to endure during their captivity and, of community and transcendence of the experience through the references to joining and participating in the choir. The staging cleverly presents the image of Bridie and Sheila sitting side by side, the equanimity of the position however, is belied at times by their philosophical positioning and perspective of events. Inferred tone is presented through the facial expressions and body gestures presented. Misto’s stage directions for the tone, attitude and demeanour of both women covers a range of emotions: calm, upset, horrified, defensive, surprised, uneasy, annoyed, disgusted, diplomatic, reluctant, amazed, independent, fond, nostalgic. The dramaturgy required to act out and visualise these emotions emphasises the intimate sociology of the theatrical experience for the audience as they interact with the women on the stage.The sensory experience of sound and image impresses upon the audience the historical veracity of the event. The score shifts from the ironic beginning track of Happy Times’ by Jo Stafford – presenting metaphorical images of hope and deliverance which is juxtaposed with the sounds of machine guns, screams and the crying of women as men and women, nurses from the Vyner Brooke were taken into the sea and shot. This representation is historically factual and is referenced in the links below. The visual representation of this scene is depicted by Bridie in dialogue. Misto’s stage directions suggest she says this ‘calmly’ so the audience see her at this stage as objective and in control.The screened photographs used throughout the scene, of women and their daily routine in Japanese camps, ragged starving children and the close up of the Japanese soldier in menacing pose has purposeful visual impact. The first image, of the women in the camp is shown at the same time as the narrative unfolds as Bridie and Sheila recount events about camp life. They further illustrate this depiction with references to ‘barbed wire’ and the crowded conditions. The dignity of the women is presented through the dialogue; visceral imagery of their having to use toilets in front of the guards – also taken from primary sources and accounts of women in the camps is confronting and disturbing from a human rights perspective. This passage of dialogue, shared between Bridie and Sheila, demonstrates they have the same image and memory of the event. The dialogue ends with the confronting image of the Japanese solder reinforcing the dominance and control that overshadowed their lives during captivity. This image serves as a transition into the next phase of the interview and whilst the previous passage was confronting, the ensuing material is even more so.Tensions rise in the mid section of this scene. Bridie and Sheila share looks between them as the off stage interviewer asks confronting questions about the sexual abuse they may have encountered in the camps. The passage reprises the Australian/British patriotism and rivalry between the women – presenting an almost obsessive and defensive nationalism. The stage directions imply the characters are far more agitated echoing the confronting nature of the revelations. Whilst Bridie represents anger and rejection of the interaction between the British and Australian comfort women, Sheila is more circumspect, suggesting rather that the women who chose or submitted to these ministrations did so to provide food for their children. Bridie’s strident and accusative invective clearly has an impact foreshadowing further revelations later in the play. The depiction of the scene where Bridie was forced to stay behind and be party to the behaviour of her captors and the ingenuity of one woman to infer she had tuberculosis brings humour to the scene which barely hides the fear and resentment she experienced. The stage is darkened at this point and an image of starving children is presented on the screen. This serves as empathetic justification for those women who did what they felt they needed to do to feed their children. The end of this vignette reveals images of hunger, deprivation and need. The interviewer halts with his simile when the women explain about the chop bone; the image left for the audience to fill in themselves or by the women. The representations of the impact of the experience in terms of mental health are referenced here building the image that is stated directly by Sheila. The merciless killing of women who could not cope emphasises the pressures on the women to sustain a positive outlook – referencing the imagery of the song played at the beginning of the scene. This discussion presents a segue into score of Ravel’s Bolero. Misto’s stage directions have this score played through to the end of the scene presenting a back drop to the next vignette.The women explain their meeting with Margaret Dryburgh and the forming of the vocal orchestra – Misto incorporating this history into his narrative. The passage reprises the motif of the shoe-horn and its significance in terms of survival and community. Both Bridie and Sheila relate the significance of the choir and images of connectedness and transcendence are presented in the final lines the anaphora emphasising the power of the music to raise them above their experience. The ‘shoe-horn’ is the last word in this scene and serves to foreshadow its actual appearance in the next scene and subsequently the impact it has had on Sheila which ultimately provides clarification for why she had chosen not to contact Bridie in the fifty years since they last saw each other.Group Work ActivityRead the summary above. Highlight issues, ideas or concerns in one colour. Highlight specific mention of devices in another. Highlight visualisation or visual imagery in another.Your groups will complete one of the following ideas and will share with the class through a collaborative Powerpoint:Complete the following table.IssueDramatic Features(Specific reference to the text)What is visualised through these dramatic features?How does this achieve and effect meaning and audience response?War and atrocitiesDialogue: “All the men were bayoneted ….”p. 41Soundtrack of women’s cries heard off stage p. 41Visual images . slides of women and starving children in the camps p. 41Symbol / motif of the chop bone p. 45Brutality of the Japanese; agony and fear of the prisonersHorror and desperation of the brave and decent womenSuffering of innocent civilians and the pity and horror of warStarving women and the appalling conditions of life in the campsThe audience feels horror and pity. Anger and a deeper understanding of the experiences in the past.Feel horror at war’s brutality, deeper understanding of Bridie’s and Shiela’s past experiences and how this affects the presentFeel anger and reach deeper depths of understanding and therefore empathyUnderstanding of the depth of their friendship and the miracle of their survivalHeroismPowerTruthAttitudes to womenResilienceWriting Activity Five Topic SentenceWar and its atrocities create an environment where values and friendships are testedOverviewHow has the idea in the topic sentence been revealed in the play through to Scene 5? Level One (Technique and Example)List three or four key uses of imagery in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples. Make sure they connect to the topic sentences.Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene provoke audience response?Level Three (Analysis)Why are the images deliberately so shocking and provocative? (Hint: Misto is making a comment about war and the reality of lived experience)Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Writing Activity Six Topic SentenceMisto has used dramatic, visual and language techniques to convey the brutality of war.OverviewHow has the idea in the topic sentence been revealed in Scene 5? Level One (Technique and Example)List three or four key uses of dramatic, visual and language techniques used in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples. Make sure they connect to the topic sentences.)Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene provoke audience response?Level Three (Analysis)Why are the images deliberately so shocking and provocative? (Hint: Misto is making a comment about war and the reality of lived experience)Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Analysis: Act One, Scene SixThis scene opens in the empty hotel room. The women’s entrance in the conga line dance suggests their growing reconciliation, but as the dialogue continues we are aware that there are still tensions between them. As they delve into their memories we become aware that the enemies were not only the Japanese—but also the British and Australian authorities. Although the scene begins with the joyous image of dancing, the tension level builds throughout. The ‘discovery’ of the snapshots is juxtaposed with the images that we have seen on the screen. The big picture is now refocussed for the audience as Bridie surveys the photos. The tension continues to increase. The production of the tobacco tin by Bridie seems like another attempt at reconciliation—but it is obvious to the audience that this tin is also a further source of tension, despite the expressions of fondness that Bridie expresses for Sheila. As Bridie departs, Sheila is left alone on the stage and she takes out the shoe-horn from a drawer. This is the first time the audience sees it and it takes on a symbolic significance that is to grow throughout the play. There is a moment of flashback to the young Sheila and Japanese soldiers and a song.The image of Sheila staring at the shoe-horn passes and is replaced by projected images of war ravaged women staring at the plete the following overview table, by listing details from the sceneSettingDetails from Scene 6Historical Details revealed in the sceneMusic and SoundMotifsIdeasFurther AnalysisOngoing stage tension between Bridie and Sheila presents an intangible (vague / hard to grasp at) gulf between the two despite the clear sense of common experience they convey. The opening of the scene with the two women singing the made up lyrics that are still clearly ingrained in their memory is a poignant reminder of the imprints experience places on our lives. Percy Grainger’s “English Country Gardens” reinforces the irony of the view of the Empire that begins and end this scene in the stage directions and commentary provided by Misto.Explicit images are presented in this scene through props on the stage. First, we see Bridie handling the photographs of Sheila as a young woman and the effect they have on her as a result of her memories which then resonates in the dramaturgy. Secondly, Bridie shows Sheila the rusty tin she has kept ever since the war – a reminder of the care and responsibility they had for each other, the affection and friendship that clearly resonates between them.Imagery (gloves, playing bridge, criticism of Australian men, women going ‘off’ with the ‘Nips’) is referred to in the dualogue that reprises the ongoing rivalry between British and Australian values and the conflicting perspectives the women have of the sexual encounters with the Japanese. The values judgements being placed on these women by Bridie reveal her repulsion has extended across the decades. Sheila, however, is more circumspect for reasons that will soon be revealed. The audience may interpret that these arguments existed within the camp as an integral element of the survival process and had been part of the everyday interactions that had formed conversation and debate that stimulated minds and reinforced and sustained notions of identity for those who were held as prisoners of war. Indeed, the story told her resonates with the range of POW narratives told by men, in particular to Australian POWs and their sporting prowess over that of the British, New Zealander and Canadian POWS.The dramaturgy presents both intimacy and distance between the women on the stage allowing the audience to see the pain Sheila has suffered (and is evidenced through her stage silences when she is shown the tin). Misto uses a voice over flashback revealing how the tin represents a visceral memory imprinted on Sheila’s mind of ridicule and derision; after Bridie leaves the stage Sheila goes to her drawer and we, as the audience, visually see the shoe-horn for the first time on the stage. The poignant imagery is of enormous loss which we can see through the dramatic irony of Bridie suggesting anyone who has slept with the enemy could not or should not show their face - a pun – as lost face was a mantra of the Japanese in terms of maintaining their physical and psychological presence as menacing captors of the women. Sheila’s silences and her inability to look at Bridie increase the social tension of the scene and we are witness to the foreshadowing of revelations that will lead to the climax of the play.The scene ends with inferred images of Sheila being ridiculed by the Japanese as she sings a song “It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow” which was sung by Vera Lynn during WWII. The song is about optimism and reflects the British view that they could overcome anything. The scene ends with powerful screened imagery on the stage of two female prisoners. Misto once again adds his own little commentary that would not have been spoken on the stage but clearly presents his view of the irony of the British perspective of superiority, the notion of Empire as nothing more than broken down by the experience. We are confronted by these images as we empathise and imagine the devastation of what actually occurred.How is the tension between Bridie and Shelia continued in this scene? One of the ideas that is evident in this scene is the ongoing rivalry between the English and Australian women?Hint: (Remember: Statement, Techniques, Visualisation, Meaning) Once you have completed your responses highlight each part of your response in different colours and underline your technique)Read the general overview and the “Further Analysis”Dramaturgy / Language / Visual ElementExplicit Example from play (doesn’t have to be a direct quote)How it creates meaning in the play?ImageryMotifShoe-hornTobacco - tinBody language and mannerisms – dramaturgyExplicit images or projected imagesUse of musicVoice oversUsing the textual analysis in the above table, how is Sheila’s character further developed in this scene? (REMEMBER – TEPA – You must ground your reading of the play in the features of the text) Write about 200 words.Analysis: Act One, Scene SevenThis scene presents Bridie alone in the studio responding to the interviewer’s questions. The scene begins with confronting images screened as backdrops of female prisoners in a desperate state. The literal images establish the premise of the scene as Misto shares his historical narrative with the audience. One of the issues that have surrounded the narrative of prisoner of war experiences has been the lack of focus on the experience of women; as such, this play presents their history and the interview construct performs that role in the play allowing history to unfold through the questions and evidence presented through characters representing this perspective. Bridie, standing in the spotlight presents a commanding figure and forces us to focus on her story. The image she portrays, of herself and Sheila and the weighing of the women is a damning portrait of the cruelty imposed upon women under the guise of war.The discussion about the caramel leads into a reflective analysis of Christmas in the camp in 1943. At this point the women have been held captive for nearly two years and the loss of liberty and memories of home are shared here to present the imagined world women chose to remember to escape the mental anguish of hunger; the irony of course is that memories only serve to increase the sense of deprivation. The sensory imagery of the smells, taste, feel, look of the rice resonates for the audience. The truncated dialogue reveals the horrors of the memories. The audience is confronted by the idea of having to pick grubs out of the rice– seemingly unimaginable images of the deprivations these women experienced. Misto establishes a contrasting image, revealing the capacity for moments of joy amongst the horror. Score is employed here filling the theatre with male voices singing ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, a popular Christmas carol. Bridie’s identifying of the contrast between the voices of the Australian men and Japanese presents metaphorical perceptions of strength and weakness in the representations of masculinity of the two races from her perspective. The colloquial nomenclature of ‘Digger’ reminds the audience of the Australian context. Images of women coming from every corner of the camp and even crawling out of the hospital implies the heightened emotion of the remembered scene. Further contrasts are presented by comparing the physical attributes of the other prisoners with those of the Japanese reinforcing the joy of seeing familiar facial and body features – hairy legs for example. It would suggest here that these visitors represented real men to the women as opposed to their Japanese counterparts. The memory related on stage has remained vivid for Bridie as she relates the wink from an Aussie POW and the audience sees her reaction to this as one of realising her femininity despite the physical state they were in.Bridie relates that once the men stop singing the women returned the favour, united, as a choir clearly implying the unity of the spirit of the women in the camp. They sang ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’; a metaphorical and lyrical thank you to the men within the context of the Christmas message. Bridie expands on her flirtatious episode and nostalgically reflects on the importance of that moment; the simile extends the images of emaciation that have been the visual focus of the scene and allows the audience to see that the human spirit has the ability to overcome even the direst of circumstances.The scene ends poignantly with Bridie telling Rick that she meets the soldier after the war and marries him, a nice segue to the score of ‘We’ll Meet Again’ another popular WWII song. Misto effectively takes the audience back historically as well as presenting iconic imagery of the nostalgia of the loss and separation caused by the imprisonment and death of so many individuals during the conflict. Once again the sense of hope is reprised through the score and infers that the women and the men were not willing to allow the circumstances to destroy their plete the following analysis table.TechniquesDramatic Features(Specific reference to the text)What is visualised through these dramatic features?How does this achieve and effect meaning and audience response?Photographsstaging – interview studiospotlightsoundtrack for context and flashbackLanguage: tone: calm, ‘amused’, accusative, ‘bleak’ – follow the stage directions and list throughout for how Misto constructs his characters impact on the audience; tone for audience is: confronting and provocative, nostalgic, reflective, poignant; examine: Motifalliterative phrasingimperativessimileAnalysis: Act One, Scene EightRead this scene again in pairs. As you rRead through a second (!) time notate in the following table the following features of the scene.Dramatic Techniques:Dramatic Features(Specific reference to the text)What is visualised through these dramatic features?How does this achieve and effect meaning and audience response?set: motel roomlights, props, Alka Seltzer, shoe-horn; sound effects; spotlights; dramatic irony; dualoguestage directionsLanguage Techniques: Dramatic Features(Specific reference to the text)What is visualised through these dramatic features?How does this achieve and effect meaning and audience response?tone: whole scene: provocative, confronting, critical, empathetic, incredulous; character tone: impatient, defensive, concerned, reassuring, embarrassed, polite, tense, concerned, threatened etc – use stage directionsallusion, metaphor invectivesimperative verbs and phrasesexclamatory sentencesimagery, repetitioncrescendo of crickets to heighten tensionalliterationrhetorical questionspunctuation for phrasing and pause, flashback in voice over, Summary, Act One, Scene EightThis scene opens with the drinking of a glass of fizzing water—a neat juxtaposition with the earlier image of the glass of water and the images of hunger and thirst in the camps. We learn that Sheila has missed an interview session because of her ‘hangover’. The dialogue in this scene is also about past events—and more recent events.Sheila questions Bridie about what she has said in the missed taping session and also seeks to have Bridie recount the events of the previous night which are something of a blur in her memory. This scene shows Bridie in a mothering role—a situation that is to be reversed before the play ends.Underpinning the interaction in this scene is an attempt by Bridie to understand why Sheila had rejected her after they had been rescued from the camp at the end of the war. Finally, Sheila takes out the shoe-horn and throws it onto the bed. Bridie sees her initials on it and begins to question Sheila as to how she had come by it. There is now real tension between the two withBridie no longer in the position of control. Sheila recalls Belalau and retells the events which Bridie was too sick to know about—including Sheila’s sacrifice for her. This revelation is underscored by the noise of crickets which cut out as Bridie is faced with the truth. The scene ends with a dramatic representation of the isolation of the two characters in the spotlights and the voiceover flashback to the moment when Sheila returned from the Japanese with the tabletsfor Bridie. The final moment on stage has Bridie turning to face Sheila, the slow fading of lightsand the song, ‘After the Ball is Over’.The final scene of Act One brings the play to a climax. Explicit images of loss and shock are presented through the dramaturgy including the costuming, positioning of actors in positions of power on the stage, stage distance as a means of presenting isolation, facial gestures to demonstrate the impact of the invectives and revelations and of course, the appearance of the shoe-horn.Implicit yet distinctively visual images are presented through the depiction of Sheila and other POWs the evening prior at the dinner – these imagined and implied images, whilst humourous, are deeply troubling and reveal the innateness of memory; the images and experiences have not dulled in the minds of the women. The fact that the imagery constructed here reveals psychological hurt and damage is provocative and forces the audience to engage with the extent of the experience. Further, the emotional reference to the little boy who wanted to ask Santa for an egg evokes images of Christmas and childish joy being repressed by the conditions of the camp. Even more evocative is Bridie’s retelling of other events from the previous evening. Sheila, in an apparently intoxicated state, rejected Bridie vehemently and publicly reinforced the tension that has existed between them since the beginning of the play. The dualogue between them becomes quite aggressive and results in Bridie slapping Sheila – a confronting visual of the fear, sadness, tension and resentment for not keeping in contact and ironically, reveals more about the affection and sadness than it does about anger. At this point in the scene Sheila is forced to reveal she has the shoe-horn. The visual appearance of the central motif of the play is both provocative and confronting. The shoe-horn, as we know from the beginning of the play, was a gift from Bridie’s father and thus has rich emotional attachment to images of family and youth, connectedness, an innocence prior to the war; it’s role in the camp as a metronome presents images of community and music, moments of transcendence and the potential to rise above the psychological constraints of the experience. There has been no mystery about it until this point in the text, just the acceptance that it was lost and used as a bartering tool with the Japanese referenced earlier in the play. Revealing the prop at this stage, seeing that it exists and has existed as a symbol of experience reminds us of the impact and power of material objects and visuals to evoke emotional reactions and responses.Sheila having been in possession of the shoe-horn for so many years becomes a mystery to be unveiled and the ensuing action, the proximity of the women, the sound effects take us back in time through the dialogue. Sheila mentions Belalau – the image of which is written on Bridie’s face, and the horrors of that camp presenting a historical narrative from WWII. The imagery, adjectives of beauty seen in the stunning colours of sunsets, the olfactory images of frangipani raising sensual and exotic inferences and the descriptions of storms and their wonder and beauty are contrasted against the horrors and screams of the women in the camp as they fought off malaria. The evocative aural imagery of Sheila singing to Bridie, her vivid recollections of Bridie in hospital and her physical condition explore the pain and suffering Sheila witnessed. The intertextuality of singing Bridie’s favourite song adds layers of metaphorical meaning as the nostalgia of ‘the ball’ is a memory of life prior to the war when innocence and gaiety was the only priority and at this point in the historical narrative Sheila is implying the fears she had for Bridie’s impending death. The proximity of these women on the stage at this point reveals their closeness in the war as well as the pressure that is on them at this point in the play. Bridie’s demand to know where the quinine tablets (medicine used to stave off malaria and of course restricted during the incarceration to the Japanese themselves) had come from becomes an answer she fears. Misto’s stage directions allow us to see and hear the dread in Bridie’s voice as she begins to suspect the worst; the tension of the scene is palpable as the women face each other. Misto adds sound effects at this point in the scene, crickets, adding an aural quality to the already established sentience, of the exotic. However, the noise of the crickets is also reminiscent of white noise, a buzzing to hide truth to stop the clarity of voice from being presented.The crescendo of the cacophonous noise of the crickets fills the stage for the remainder of the scene and the sudden silence at the end adds to the dark and light metaphors, a sense of foreboding and evil that has enveloped the stage as this dramatic revelation is presented to both Bridie and to the audience.Sheila presents further images from her memories – coffins, symbols of death. We do not need to see them to experience the sadness and loss that they evoke or the fear that she experienced in thinking Bridie would die. Her confession that she went to see Lipstick Larry, the alliteration mocking his looks and presenting a caricature image of a Japanese officer (already punctuated in audience memory by earlier images of his wearing loin cloths), raises horror for Bridie as she slowly comes to realise what Sheila may have done to get the quinine that saved her life – reversing the irony of her invective just moments ago in the scene. The visuals we determine from Sheila’s description of the Japanese, pink cheeks, drunkenness reprise the images Bridie has given us earlier of her experience in ‘Lavender Street’ (Scene Five). The confronting and devastating image that is evoked by Sheila retelling how the soldiers first made her sing, ridiculing her and then dragging her back as she tried to leave resonates with the audience. The effect on Bridie is also evident on the stage. The cessation of the cricket soundtrack leaves the characters and the audience in an uncomfortable silence; the dramaturgy has Bridie turned away from Sheila, unable to face the sacrifice that has been made for her. Sheila’s demand for her to turn and look at her, and Misto placing both women under separate spotlights highlights the social distancing of them on the stage. The staging presents a metaphorical visualisation of the distance between them in terms of values and attachment. The scene ends with a voice over of the young Sheila singing Bridie’s favourite song. The dramatic irony is palpable; whilst Bridie’s war was over – the ball (listen to the lyrics to understand the intertextual metaphor here), Sheila’s has never ended and her hopes vanished. Bridie’s turning to face Sheila and her facial expressions are the imperative here presenting the heightened emotion, the humility she feels combined with the regret and disgust for what has happened to Sheila - and her own inability to resolve the image of what occurred. The heroic stoicism here is profound. Imagery of heroes is rarely of a young British woman whose sense or propriety has been her strength. The loss of innocence resulting from this act of sacrifice has clearly had a long term impact on Sheila and to carry the weight of it, and the shoe –horn provokes the audience to imagine themselves in similarly circumstances and whether they would be as committed to saving the life of another in the same way.Short Answer QuestionsAt the beginning of this scene, we learn about Sheila’s exploits whilst drunk. What do we learn?Comment on the dramatic effect of having this action take place offstage and only discussed in this scene.What does this relationship suggest about Sheila and her relationship with Bridie?Suspense is being created about the women’s relationship. How is this continued in this scene with Bridie questioning Shilea about her apparent unwillingness to rekindle their relationship? What comments suggest that there is tension?>Why do you think Shbeila refused to make contact with Bridie after WWII? Eexplain her statement, “And when something hurts you run away …. Or you dig a hole and bury it.”Durng this scene, Sheila confesses how she gained the quinine. What is the shoe-horn symbolic of now?What is Bridie’s reaction to the discovery of Sheila sleeping with the “japs”?At the conclusion of the scene we first hear the older Sheila talking and then the scene finishes with the voiceover of the younger Sheila. What is the effect of this contrast?Further Analysis, Act One, Scene 8The final scene of Act One brings the play to a climax. Explicit images of loss and shock are presented through the dramaturgy including the costuming, positioning of actors in positions of power on the stage, stage distance as a means of presenting isolation, facial gestures to demonstrate the impact of the invectives and revelations and of course, the appearance of the shoe-horn.Implicit yet distinctively visual images are presented through the depiction of Sheila and other POWs the evening prior at the dinner – these imagined and implied images, whilst humourous, are deeply troubling and reveal the innateness of memory; the images and experiences have not dulled in the minds of the women. The fact that the imagery constructed here reveals psychological hurt and damage is provocative and forces the audience to engage with the extent of the experience. Further, the emotional reference to the little boy who wanted to ask Santa for an egg evokes images of Christmas and childish joy being repressed by the conditions of the camp. Even more evocative is Bridie’s retelling of other events from the previous evening. Sheila, in an apparently intoxicated state, rejected Bridie vehemently and publicly reinforced the tension that has existed between them since the beginning of the play. The dualogue between them becomes quite aggressive and results in Bridie slapping Sheila – a confronting visual of the fear, sadness, tension and resentment for not keeping in contact and ironically, reveals more about the affection and sadness than it does about anger. At this point in the scene, Sheila is forced to reveal she has the shoe-horn. The visual appearance of the central motif of the play is both provocative and confronting. The shoe-horn, as we know from the beginning of the play, was a gift from Bridie’s father and thus has rich emotional attachment to images of family and youth, connectedness, an innocence prior to the war; it’s role in the camp as a metronome presents images of community and music, moments of transcendence and the potential to rise above the psychological constraints of the experience. There has been no mystery about it until this point in the text, just the acceptance that it was lost and used as a bartering tool with the Japanese referenced earlier in the play. Revealing the prop at this stage, seeing that it exists and has existed as a symbol of experience reminds us of the impact and power of material objects and visuals to evoke emotional reactions and responses.Sheila having been in possession of the shoe-horn for so many years becomes a mystery to be unveiled and the ensuing action, the proximity of the women, the sound effects take us back in time through the dialogue. Sheila mentions Belalau – the image of which is written on Bridie’s face, and the horrors of that camp presenting a historical narrative from WWII. The imagery, adjectives of beauty seen in the stunning colours of sunsets, the olfactory images of frangipani raising sensual and exotic inferences and the descriptions of storms and their wonder and beauty are contrasted against the horrors and screams of the women in the camp as they fought off malaria. The evocative aural imagery of Sheila singing to Bridie, her vivid recollections of Bridie in hospital and her physical condition explore the pain and suffering Sheila witnessed. The intertextuality of singing Bridie’s favourite song adds layers of metaphorical meaning as the nostalgia of ‘the ball’ is a memory of life prior to the war when innocence and gaiety was the only priority and at this point in the historical narrative Sheila is implying the fears she had for Bridie’s impending death. The proximity of these women on the stage at this point reveals their closeness in the war as well as the pressure that is on them at this point in the play. Bridie’s demand to know where the quinine tablets (medicine used to stave off malaria and of course restricted during the incarceration to the Japanese themselves) had come from becomes an answer she fears. Misto’s stage directions allow us to see and hear the dread in Bridie’s voice as she begins to suspect the worst; the tension of the scene is palpable as the women face each other. Misto adds sound effects at this point in the scene, crickets, adding an aural quality to the already established sentience, of the exotic. However, the noise of the crickets is also reminiscent of white noise, a buzzing to hide truth to stop the clarity of voice from being presented.The crescendo of the cacophonous noise of the crickets fills the stage for the remainder of the scene and the sudden silence at the end adds to the dark and light metaphors, a sense of foreboding and evil that has enveloped the stage as this dramatic revelation is presented to both Bridie and to the audience.Sheila presents further images from her memories – coffins, symbols of death. We do not need to see them to experience the sadness and loss that they evoke or the fear that she experienced in thinking Bridie would die. Her confession that she went to see Lipstick Larry, the alliteration mocking his looks and presenting a caricature image of a Japanese officer (already punctuated in audience memory by earlier images of his wearing loin cloths), raises horror for Bridie as she slowly comes to realise what Sheila may have done to get the quinine that saved her life – reversing the irony of her invective just moments ago in the scene. The visuals we determine from Sheila’s description of the Japanese, pink cheeks, drunkenness reprise the images Bridie has given us earlier of her experience in ‘Lavender Street’ (Scene Five). The confronting and devastating image that is evoked by Sheila retelling how the soldiers first made her sing, ridiculing her and then dragging her back as she tried to leave resonates with the audience. The effect on Bridie is also evident on the stage. The cessation of the cricket soundtrack leaves the characters and the audience in an uncomfortable silence; the dramaturgy has Bridie turned away from Sheila, unable to face the sacrifice that has been made for her. Sheila’s demand for her to turn and look at her, and Misto placing both women under separate spotlights highlights the social distancing of them on the stage. The staging presents a metaphorical visualisation of the distance between them in terms of values and attachment. The scene ends with a voice over of the young Sheila singing Bridie’s favourite song. The dramatic irony is palpable; whilst Bridie’s war was over – the ball (listen to the lyrics to understand the intertextual metaphor here), Sheila’s has never ended and her hopes vanished. Bridie’s turning to face Sheila and her facial expressions are the imperative here presenting the heightened emotion, the humility she feels combined with the regret and disgust for what has happened to Sheila - and her own inability to resolve the image of what occurred. The heroic stoicism here is profound. Imagery of heroes is rarely of a young British woman whose sense or propriety has been her strength. The loss of innocence resulting from this act of sacrifice has clearly had a long term impact on Sheila and to carry the weight of it, and the shoe –horn provokes the audience to imagine themselves in similarly circumstances and whether they would be as committed to saving the life of another in the same way.Collaborative Analysis Table, Act One, Scene 8.Group 1Dramatic techniquesExample from ScenePurposeto shockto teachto broaden our understandingto illicit and emotional response/ engagementto amuseto build tension / to break the tensionto establish historical/ political contextto tell an untold storyto expose to criticizeDistinctively VisualDistinctive / distinct MemorableImprints on the mindUniqueVividStands outEngages the sensesRich Visually engagingVisually surprisingVisually enticingVisuals augment our understanding and emotional responseThemes / ideasWarbrutalitydehumanisationpost traumatic stresspropagandapatriotismMusicfreedom hopeunitycourageFriendshipsacrificeunityshared experiencecourage and conflictsound effectsSpotlightsdramaturgy dramatic ironydualogue; irony; pathos; bathosGroup 2Dramatic techniquesExample from ScenePurposeto shockto teachto broaden our understandingto illicit and emotional response/ engagementto amuseto build tension / to break the tensionto establish historical/ political contextto tell an untold storyto expose to criticizeDistinctively VisualDistinctive / distinct MemorableImprints on the mindUniqueVividStands outEngages the sensesRich Visually engagingVisually surprisingVisually enticingVisuals augment our understanding and emotional responseThemes / ideasWarbrutalitydehumanisationpost traumatic stresspropagandapatriotismMusicfreedom hopeunitycourageFriendshipsacrificeunityshared experiencecourage and conflicttone: whole scene: provocative, confronting, critical, empathetic, incredulous; character tone: impatient, defensive, concerned, reassuring, embarrassed, polite, tense, concerned, threatened etc – use stage directionsmetaphorimperative verbs and phrasesexclamatory sentencesimagery, repetitioncrescendo of crickets to heighten tensionalliterationrhetorical questionspunctuation for phrasing and pause, flashback in voice over, Writing Activity Seven Topic SentenceThe distinctively visual techniques within The Shoe Horn Sonata allows the responder to witness the strong relationship between Bridie and Sheila have and share the emotions they experience. OverviewHow has the idea in the topic sentence been revealed in Scene 8? Level One (Technique and Example)List three or four key uses of dramatic, visual and language techniques used in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples. Make sure they connect to the topic sentences.)Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene provoke audience response?Level Three (Analysis)How do the dramatic techniques and the distinctively visual elements in this scene evoke the tensions and emotions in this relationship?Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Writing Activity Eight Topic SentenceThe distinctively visual positions the responder to gain an experiences about past events and personalities. This acts as a catalyst, exposing the responder to the experiences of the women and the long term effects of war, that they suffered. OverviewHow has the idea in the topic sentence been revealed in Scene 8? Level One (Technique and Example)List three key uses of dramatic, visual and language techniques used in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples. Make sure they connect to the topic sentences.)Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene provoke audience response?Level Three (Analysis)How do the dramatic techniques and the distinctively visual elements in this scene enhance our understanding and emotional response of the horror and sacrifice of war?Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Writing Activity Nine Topic SentenceThe distinctively visual allows the responder to enter a world of despair and vulnerability. OverviewHow has the idea in the topic sentence been revealed in Scene 8? Level One (Technique and Example)List three key uses of dramatic, visual and language techniques used in this scene. (Ensure you also note the references or describe the examples. Make sure they connect to the topic sentences.)Level Two (Purpose)How do the visual elements of this scene invoke a vivid response for the audience?Level Three (Analysis)How do these responses link to the despair and vulnerability of Bridie and Sheila in this scene?Writing ActivityConvert your answers into a cohesive paragraph. (Topic Sentence, Technique Example, Purpose, Analysis, Linking Sentence)Music in The Shoe-Horn Sonata, Act OneMusic is used extensively through the play. MusicContext in playEffect on visual imagery in the playRemember your “purpose” wordsFall In BrotherWhat is the impression that is being created about the British in the context of WWII and the hype and glorification of war?Rule BritanniaWhat is the impression that is being created about the British in the context of WWII and the hype and glorification of war?Something to Remember you ByAct 1, Sc. IIii“Jerusalem”Act I, Scene 3Happy TimesAct I, Scene 5BoleroAct I, Scene 5Percy Grangers, “English Country Garden”Act I, Scene 6“O Come All ye Faithful”Act I, Scene 7“God Rest Ye Merry GentlemenAct I, Scene 7“We’ll Meet Again”, performed by the InkspotsAct I, Scene 7Projected Visual Images in The Shoe-Horn Sonata, Act OneVisual Image ProjectedStage Direction or Context of visual imageWhat else is happening on the stage?What is the effect of the visual images?Here think “purpose” verbs and specifically about “distinctively visual”Act I, Sc iSingapore“Don’t listen to rumour …. If only they had ….”Act I, Scene 3Japanese flagAct I, Scene 5Photographs of the women in Japanese POW campsAct I, Scene 5Face of fierce Japanese warriorAct I, Scene 5Photographs of children in the POW camps – stick thin, obviously starving and malnourishedAct I, Scene 6Two women prisoners of the Japanese in shocking state of malnutrition and mistreatmentAct I, Scene 7Photographs of women –emaciated, haggard, impoverished ................
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