THE WARRIOR AND THE PRINCESS

$5.40 – $15.00

A Samurai warrior goes against his orders to save Jewish refugees during the Second World War.

At the start of World War 2, Kiyoshi Yoshida, a Japanese diplomat he meets Anna, a young Polish refugee whose plight encourages him to do what he feels is right rather than follow the rules.

The Warrior and the Princess is inspired by the story of Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara who helped thousands of Jews escape from Europe in 1940. The play is a fictional re-imagining of their act of bravery that takes the audience on an epic journey spanning decades and two continents. The play is targeted at an audience of 12 years old and over although it has played mainly to adults.

The Warrior and the Princess begins in 1944 with Kiyoshi in an internment camp in Romania starving and bereft of hope. From here it launches into the events that brought the protagonists together during the early years of World War 2, with numerous flashbacks that flesh out the circumstances shaping the man who saved the lives of so many.

The Warrior and the Princess can incorporate puppetry and shadow play. A number of key scenes are told visually. Shadow puppets, rod puppets and held puppets requiring 2 puppeteers were the main types used.

Projections with places and dates constantly keep the audience on track during the non-linear sequences of the play and the events of World War 2. These were carefully considered in order to prevent confusion and act as powerful markers for a work with a sparse set.

The original production incorporated a live music score that served to transport the play across decades and continents. Using popular and classical music, the music was an emotive addition to the uplifting experience of The Warrior and the Princess.

APT