Intrigued by the Silver Sword
On Sunday March 25th I was invited by a friend to take a trip to see a play being put on by the University Dramatic Arts Society (UDAS) . I had seen the poster as I kept passing the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts so I decided why not spend my afternoon enjoying a play. So I went with an open mind ready to see what our University actors had to offer.
I was intrigued by the story and with each scene grew more and more interested. The play entitled ‘The Silver Sword’ is Stuart Hensons’play adapted from the novel by Ian Serraillier. Based on events during World War II, the play centres on a family and their quest to reunification. When the Nazis seize their father and mother, in World War II, the three Balicki children are left to fend for themselves in occupied Poland. Bravely they survive the hardships of war, and never completely lose hope of finding their parents again. This is the exciting story of their quest, of the clever orphan boy Jan who helps them, and of the silver talisman that accompanies them on their dangerous journey.
The play which was directed in Jamaica by Mr. Brian Heap, a senior lecturer at the UWI and artistic director of the University Singers took the audience on a journey.
It was interesting to see the use of minimal props on stage with which the use of effective lighting, sound effects and the backdrop pictures of a destroyed Warsaw helped transform the stage. I felt transported to Europe in this war torn era and felt a part of the empty bombed streets, the long roads and the camp locations. It was interesting to note the wardrobe of the polish migrants and the soldiers especially the Nazi and Soviet soldiers which kept the characters true to the era. The use of accents, though at times awkward, also helped the audience to feel the story. While the scene transitions were not as smooth as they could be, this detracted very little from the show put on. All in all it was a great show and I applaud the effort by Mr. Heap and UDAS to bring the arts to the stage at the Mona Campus and I look forward to the future staging of plays.
