The Maddermarket is to stage its first World Premiere for over 10 years with a story of love, loss and survival based on true accounts from victims and survivors of the sinking of RMS Laconia.

NOW IS THE HOUR by DAVID WALTER HALL

Directed by Stu Denison

 

Radio message from RMS Laconia to all shipping sent on Sept 12, 2222 hours
Laconia torpedoed SSS SSS 0434 South / 1125 West

Coded radio message from U- 156 to German High Command sent on Sept 13, 0125 hours:
Sunk by Hartenstein British “Laconia”. Unfortunately with 1,500 Italian POW’s. Till now 90 fished. 157 cubic meters (oil). 19 eels 8 torpedoes, trade wind (torpedoes), ask for orders.

Un-coded radio message from U-156 to all shipping sent on Sept 13, 0600 hours:
If any ship will assist the ship-wrecked ‘Laconia’-crew, I will not attack providing I am not being attacked by ship or air forces. I picked up 193 men. 4, 53 South, 11, 26 West. – German submarine.

On 12 September 1942 in the South Atlantic, the RMS Laconia was torpedoed by a German U-Boat, U-156, under the command of Kptlt. Werner Hartenstein.

There were 2732 people on board including 463 officers and crew, 80 civilians, 286 British Army soldiers, 1793 Italian prisoners of war, and 103 Polish soldiers.

After realising that the passengers were primarily POWs and civilians, the U-boat started rescue operations with a Red Cross flag draped across her gun-deck, assisted by the Italian submarine, Cappellini.

Hundreds of survivors stood on the decks of the two submarines and also in two lifeboats to which the U-Boat attached tow lines. Slowly they made their way to the west coast of Africa. The two submarines became separated during the night of 15 September and on the following morning the U-Boat was spotted by an American bomber, Despite Hartenstein messaging the bomber with details of the POW’s he had on board and in tow the U-Boat was attacked. Hartenstein had no choice but to submerge leaving those on his deck to drown and those in the lifeboats to survive if they could.

NOW IS THE HOUR is an epic story of love, loss and survival based on accounts of victims and survivors of the sinking of the troopship RMS Laconia. Left adrift, one lifeboat spent 28 excruciating days at sea.

They included Peter Medhurst and the married Scot “Katriona” (renamed to conceal her identity), who is carrying his child and to whom, in her final hours, he croons, “soon you’ll be sailing far across the sea”. In mimed, dreamlike flashbacks, we see the emergence of their affair, the ship’s destruction, and the hours of hope and despair.

The idea for the play came from  Peter Christopherson (friend of David Walter Hall), who, as Medhurst’s nephew, came into possession of his uncle’s letters. It is one of the survivors, Doris Hawkins who frames the story in a letter to Medhurst’s mother.

A single act of Now Is The Hour was played to high acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival. This is the first time the full two act version has been staged.

Show runs from Thursday 19 September to Saturday 28 September

Show Time: 7.30pm nightly (Matinee 2.30pm on Sat 28 Sept)

Seats: £12 / £10 / £8

Please Note: Special Price for Armed Service and Ex Armed Service personnel for Mon 23 Sept and Wed 25 Sept  £8.00

Box Office: 01603 620917

Maddermarket Theatre, St John’s Alley, Norwich NR2 1DR

 

To support this production the Maddermarket is staging a small exhibition in the theatre bar.

EXHIBITION  –  THE SINKING OF THE LACONIA

The exhibition will feature memorabilia, images and letters related to the sinking of the Laconia from survivors of the disaster. The accounts of victims and survivors were carefully researched by David Walter Hall in the writing of Now Is The Hour.

The exhibition also includes a personal view by a prisoner of war depicted in drawings as he was transported across Europe, his route shown on an original War Map of Europe.

Open Daily from 10am to 5pm (Closed Sunday)

Exhibition opens Wednesday 4 Sept to Sat 28 Sept

FREE Admission

www.maddermarket.co.uk

 

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