Changi (2001) By John Doyle
 
John Doyle's Changi is one of the most powerful dramas ever written about the experience of being a prisoner of war. It relays a world of deprivation and horror, but a world where men nevertheless display humour and spirit in the face of death. There are six interlinking stories, each a fact/fiction amalgam.
 
In 1942 thousands of young men headed off for Singapore, imagining that for many the destination would be the Middle East. They arrived to find chaos. The British defence plan for the island was seriously flawed. They weren't expecting the Japanese troops to invade on bicycles. Within days of arriving and without firing a shot in anger, the Australians found themselves, alon with British and Dutch troops and civilians, prisoners of war under the Japnese Imperial Army. Fifteen thousand men were marched off to Changi prisoner of war cam. Those who stayed at Changi were lucky. Those who were forced to the various labour camps endured unimaginable hardships. This play dwells on the lucky ones. Six men, who one the surface have enjoyed happy and fulfilling lives, reveal that over fifty years later, reconciling the past is still a day-to-day proposition.
 
Script of the controversial ABC Television series. inc. stills from production.
 
Soft Cover
289 Pages
In Good condition