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John Misto's The Shoe-Horn Sonata

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John Misto's The Shoe-Horn Sonata
“This is a fear that is inexpressible, incomprehensible to those who have never experienced it, a dread that strikes at the root of one’s survival – an existential fear.”
Experiences suffered by women and children in WWII Japanese POW camps are reflected in John Misto’s play, The Shoe-Horn Sonata. This is shown through a wide range of distinctively visual techniques such as stage directions, language, lighting, music and sound effects that are designed to put the audience in his characters positions.
The fear confronted by the women of the play can be shown with visual elements of ruthless treatment by the Japanese and betrayal by the British Government. The frightening experiences endured during the women’s imprisonment are visualised in

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