November 9, 2011
When I think of the artwork of Sir Terry Frost, I think of colours and vibrancy. The painting called Sun and Boats; the silkscreen print entitled Sun Tree. This is the work of a man eternally jubilant to have survived war, capture and four years in a stalag (German prisoner of war camp).
While imprisoned in Stalag 383 at the age of 34, Frost began to paint. It is here also that he met Adrian Heath, an art student, who became his tutor and life-long friend. Stalag Happy is a celebration of their friendship; a eulogy to art and its power.
In this production I enjoyed everything: from the minimal wheeled props to the magic between the two artists, played by Dan Frost (grandson of Terry) and Eddie Elks. The strong message is that blessed be those that can laugh - for they shall survive. Apart from a shared passion for art, what also sustained the two friends were the little gifts of daily humour which they gave each other. Blessed also are the Red Cross, bringing parcels of life: food, medical and recreational supplies – including art materials. And with these meagre resources, they painted a world of their own.
How do you think you would spend your time if imprisoned? The great Ahmed Kathrada, a.k.a. Kathy, sentenced to life with Nelson Mandela, got four degrees while on Robben Island. Time spent imprisoned tests the human spirit. Frost and Heath survived the test by using their own resources, of creativity and humour.
Heath was a ''galloper'', a known escapee. Like Cooler King, the Steve McQueen role in The Great Escape (also based on real events), he regularly spent time in solitary. And through all his plans, attempts, and solitary confinement, Frost just continued to paint.
For me, these two encapsulate the fortitude of the human spirit - the spirit of the stalag. The burning desire to overcome everything. The poignancy of the heaviest scene portrayed - where a fellow prisoner sits for Frost, whilst evidently breaking down. Laughter, to counteract the omnipresent yearning, dreams and hallucinations - yearning for female company, for food and for five-star hygiene. Visions of far away family and friends.
The Geneva Convention wasn't always there, but laughter was. When the Red Cross couldn't get through, laughter could. After watching this play, I will never again underestimate the power of and need for laughter. Because of a passion for art and the medicine of humour, both Terry Frost and Adrian Heath survived, to become influential figures in the world of art.
While imprisoned in Stalag 383 at the age of 34, Frost began to paint. It is here also that he met Adrian Heath, an art student, who became his tutor and life-long friend. Stalag Happy is a celebration of their friendship; a eulogy to art and its power.
In this production I enjoyed everything: from the minimal wheeled props to the magic between the two artists, played by Dan Frost (grandson of Terry) and Eddie Elks. The strong message is that blessed be those that can laugh - for they shall survive. Apart from a shared passion for art, what also sustained the two friends were the little gifts of daily humour which they gave each other. Blessed also are the Red Cross, bringing parcels of life: food, medical and recreational supplies – including art materials. And with these meagre resources, they painted a world of their own.
How do you think you would spend your time if imprisoned? The great Ahmed Kathrada, a.k.a. Kathy, sentenced to life with Nelson Mandela, got four degrees while on Robben Island. Time spent imprisoned tests the human spirit. Frost and Heath survived the test by using their own resources, of creativity and humour.
Heath was a ''galloper'', a known escapee. Like Cooler King, the Steve McQueen role in The Great Escape (also based on real events), he regularly spent time in solitary. And through all his plans, attempts, and solitary confinement, Frost just continued to paint.
For me, these two encapsulate the fortitude of the human spirit - the spirit of the stalag. The burning desire to overcome everything. The poignancy of the heaviest scene portrayed - where a fellow prisoner sits for Frost, whilst evidently breaking down. Laughter, to counteract the omnipresent yearning, dreams and hallucinations - yearning for female company, for food and for five-star hygiene. Visions of far away family and friends.
The Geneva Convention wasn't always there, but laughter was. When the Red Cross couldn't get through, laughter could. After watching this play, I will never again underestimate the power of and need for laughter. Because of a passion for art and the medicine of humour, both Terry Frost and Adrian Heath survived, to become influential figures in the world of art.