The Shoe-Horn Sonata

The horrors of war are the basis of this poignant tale: two women – one English and one Australian retell their experiences as Japanese Prisoners of War.

Aussie Eve Wheeler and Pom Marie Dixon are being interviewed, 50 years after the cessation of hostilities, for a TV documentary. The interviewer, Barry Gibson, is unseen throughout the proceedings and the scene switches between the TV studio and the ladies’ hotel room.

Witty dialogue and a tasteful treatment of the subject matter make for a compelling telling of life in a Prisoner of War camp. Fine performances all round brought some of the audience to tears.

Jim Dixon and his cast have delivered a thought provoking, eye-opening piece of theatre to an appreciative audience - a piece of Australian wartime history which is not widely publicised.

Congratulations to all involved with this production.

Roger McKenzie

Photography – Shane Caddaye