By Emma Brooks, Old School Arts Centre
1942. Tens of thousands of brave young soldiers become prisoners of war when Japanese forces overrun Singapore. Churchill calls it “the greatest disaster ever to have befallen the British Empire”.
Eric Lomax, a 21-year old Signals Engineer and railway enthusiast, is one of the surrendered men. Sent to work on the construction of the notorious Burma Railway, Eric witnesses unimaginable suffering; men forced to hack through rock and jungle with their bare hands, beaten, starved and prey to tropical diseases.
To bring hope, Eric builds a secret radio, but when it is discovered, Eric faces beatings, interrogation and worse. Barely surviving the war he returns home, like so many others, to a country unable to imagine what he and his colleagues have been through. Haunted by the face of one young Japanese officer, he shuts himself off from the world.
Decades later, he meets a beautiful woman, but on their wedding night Eric’s nightmares return; the young Japanese officer dragging him back to the horrors of the past, insisting the war is not over. Patti finds him screaming on the bedroom floor. Humiliated and confused, Eric disappears inside himself again, turning his silent fury on his wife, making her life unbearable.
Patti struggles to find out what torments the man she loves, eventually convincing Eric to return to Thailand to confront his past.
Based on the memoir by British World War II soldier Eric Lomax, The Railway Man is an extraordinary true story of heroism, humanity and the redeeming power of love.
“Colin Firth turns in a performance of immense emotional complexity.” The Guardian.
“The message of forgiveness and reconciliation comes through loud and clear – this is quite an extraordinary tale.” 3.5 stars. NZ Herald.
Catch The Railway Man at the Raglan Old School Arts Centre on Saturday 15 March, 8pm and Sunday 16 March, 4.30pm.
Licensed bar and delicious homemade snacks on sale.
Adults $11, children $6. Phone 825 0023 to reserve seats, or email info@raglanartscentre.co.nz