Soldiers Under Sentence

SOMEONE NEW THEATRE COMPANY

10th - 20th NOVEMBER 2022

In collaboration with the Greater Geelong Creative Inc. and the Geelong Gaol Museum, Someone New Theatre Company is proud to be developing and presenting its devised performance for Soldiers Under Sentence, at the Old Geelong Gaol.

LIVE VIEWING:

DIGITAL TICKETS:

PROCESSING

We are excited to have developed an original script based on the events of what the papers of the time called "that fateful night", a full-length production to be performed on-site at the gaol.

An intriguing character drama that bends reality through the eyes of the downtrodden and tortured, the play - Away Without Leave, written by Ryan O'Connor - follows one character-concept, the PRISONER, who changes faces as they represent the infamous twenty-two.

"The PRISONER is demeaned by the WARDEN, the CORPORAL, and the NURSE, who tell him that they are trying to strengthen his morals. He is given demanding tasks to complete, such as remaining ‘at the double’ for hours at a time, harsh punishments for minor infractions, such as solitary confinement for three days if the WARDEN doesn’t believe enough respect is shown. Eventually, he manages to escape, cutting the telephone wires to the main office and using tins to scale the walls."

Based on the inimitable style of Woyzeck by Georg Buchner, Away Without Leave will display the cruelty of the prison system, based on historical accounts, for all to see.

THE INMATES

Concept

On July 23rd, 1945, the boldest escape from the iconic Geelong Gaol operating as an Army Detention centre occurred, when 22 soldiers under sentence, rushed the gates and disappeared into the night. The legend of these 22 soldiers is documented only in public archives and internal records of the Geelong Gaol Museum.

Characters

Our performance will follow the people involved with the escape: the prisoners, the guards, the nurses, and the warden. The play requires eight (8) actors: five male, and three female. Each is based on a person involved with the escape attempt.

Script

Our incredible team has already presented the first draft of the script, titled Away Without Leave. An expressionist tragedy that grapples with the theme of dehumanisation and mental health, the play will be further developed by the actors in the space.

Setting

From the arrest and incarceration of the twenty-two prisoners, through their sojourn within the walls of the Geelong Gaol - in its guise at Detention Barracks 8 - and finally through the daring escape, this play will recount the events of 77 years ago in the same place that they occurred.

PAROLE

Away Without Leave will audition in the coming months for this one-off run of nine performances in November 2022, all set in the Old Geelong Gaol. More details will be released on our SNTC social media, on this webpage, and for early announcements and access to auditions, sign up to our mailing list!

COOK: An experienced member of the prison system: they have worked as a prison cook for decades.

CORPORAL: A figure at odds with their position: they are naturally kindly, but lack the backbone to stand up for anyone else.

NURSE: A widow, whose husband left to fight in the war.

PROVOST: A former soldier, sent to this barracks as a kind of retirement.

COMMANDANT: A prison governor, turned commandant. His methods are cruel, and his patience is thin.

THE PRISONER: Breaking under the stress.