Swansea’s Three Night Blitz was the worst sustained bombardment during the whole of the war in Wales and devastated the city. Over three nights in February 1941, 230 people were killed and over 400 were injured by incendiaries and bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe over a city illuminated by a full moon and covered in a dusting of snow.
The story will be brought to life on the stage of the Swansea Grand Theatre from 17-20 of February 2016 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Blitz.
Swansea playwright Manon Eames has written a brand new play following many years of research into the history of the Blitz. The play relates to actual events told through the eyes of Elsie – a young woman working at the Ben Evans department store – and her family from Teilo Crescent. Elsie is planning her wedding to her soldier boyfriend Tommy when the planes attack. The Blitz not only throws her future into turmoil but ravage the city and terrorise its citizens.
“The city was vulnerable; its great open crescent of a bay, dusted with snow, lying defenseless under a brilliant full moon,” explains Manon. “My imagination was captured by the closeness of the people to each other and to the beating heart of their town. Ordinary lives, tiny details, all caught up in the enormity of War. It’s a really special story.”
“Swansea’s Three Night Blitz” is being produced by the Swansea Grand in collaboration with production company Joio. It will be performed by a cast of eight actors with strong connections to Swansea and directed by Sara Lloyd.
Paul Hopkins of the Swansea Grand explains that, “Swansea’s Three Night Blitz is an important story that we wanted to share with the people of the city. The Blitz lives on in the imaginations of the people of Swansea and as the Grand survived the Blitz its entirely appropriate that the story of those terrifying three nights should be told on our theatre’s stage.”
Tickets for performances on the 17th-19th are £5 and tickets for the performance on the 20th are being sold at £10 in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Charity.
The production is made possible due to support from the Arts Council of Wales through the National Lottery and sponsorship from the University of Wales Trinity St. David’s and local Swansea businesses.