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Page Updated 3/10/2009 3:55:33 AM
SEACLIFF: DEMISE OF WARD 5 Synopsis
On December 8th 1942, Ward 5 (the Simla ward) of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum, near Dunedin, burnt down.
37 of the 39 female patients inside the ward, perished.
Seacliff: Demise of Ward 5 is a play musical which intertwines a fictional story of the lives of some of the patients of Simla, and the factual events of the tragic fire.
Controversial issues of the types of treatment used in Asylums during the period are addressed in this musical.
The lead character, a young woman named Grace Sutton, is committed into Seacliff by her husband, after being found guilty of murdering their daughter.
Grace; a reserved woman, still reeling from the aftermath of her daughters death, slowly finds herself becoming stronger than ever in a place that seems the least likely of anywhere to find any form of solace; aided by her new found relationships with fellow patients, and a young guard named Willem Lucas.
The play, set over the course of two months, builds to the night of the fire.
The playwright aims to tell of a fictional tale, built on love, hardships and heroism, and most importantly, to raise awareness of the real story of one of New Zealands most terrible and suppressed tragedies
Dunedin 1942
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