The Silence of the Sea
by Vercors, adapted by Peter Cheeseman
19-24 June 2023
Occupied France 1941. The Silence of the Sea tells the story of a French family forced to take in a German officer who is billeted to their home. They can’t prevent this but they resist nonetheless by refusing to speak to him. However, things don’t turn out as they had expected.
This exquisite production weaves together so many strands of history: a novel published in occupied France right under the noses of the Nazi invaders; an adaptation by theatre director Peter Cheeseman working with the original author, performed in the 1970s and witnessed and adored by a young Dorothy Gibert who thereafter cherished a wish to bring it back to the stage; a Ukrainian actress fleeing the war in her country and finding a way to express her art through a silent role that echoes her own experience.
Cast
- Uncle Gareth Sunders
- Niece Hanna Proskura
- Officer Leo Burke
Directed by Dorothy Gibert
Review
Deafening Silence: Progress excels with Silence of the Sea RDG.TODAY