Review: The Sleeping Sword by Tatty Hennessy

Having not read Morpurgo’s original novel, the character note at the beginning of The Sleeping Sword stage adaptation is even more impactful. The 10 characters ‘are to be split between a cast of three, including at least two visually impaired actors.’ The reason for this becomes obvious immediately, as young Bun Bendle loses his sight in the first scene when he dives into shallow water near his island home.

The play is a wonderful platform from which to engage with the world of those who have lost their sight. Insisting upon visually impaired actors makes this an unlikely choice for most schools to perform but it could nonetheless make a fascinating play to use as the basis for a discussion group. It would be of particular use to pupils interested in technical theatre, with intriguing discussions to be had about the role of sound and lighting designers to simply replicate the world we see and hear around us.