Program

The Shoe-Horn Sonata

by

John Misto

Directed by

Jane Binstead

18 - 20 September 2026

About the writer

John Misto is an Australian writer for film, television, stage, and fiction.
His works have won many awards including the Queensland Premier's Literary Award, three Australian Film Institute Awards, three Australian Writers' Guild Awards and a Gold Plaque at the Chicago Television Awards.

Directors' Notes

The power of The Shoe-Horn Sonata lies in John Misto’s writing - his clever blending of unflinching honesty with the fictional friendship between Bridie and Sheila at the heart of it all. This story could be very grim. After all, it is based on true accounts of Australian Army nurses’ and civilians held captive in prisoner-of-war camps in Malaya and Sumatra after the fall of Singapore in World War II. They are stories almost unimaginable by those who, like me, are lucky enough not to have been touched by such events.

The first time I read The Shoe-Horn Sonata I thought, ‘Well, this is devastatingly sad.’ On my second read-through, I could see the glimmers of light among the black. Rehearsals have seen laugh-out-loud moments from the Sheila-Bridie friendship.
Misto’s script combined with the music and images, paints a devastatingly clear picture of the situation in camp and of the women, including missionary and choir conductor Margaret Dryburgh.

The play is a testament to the remarkable resilience, ingenuity, courage and service of these women who endured years of captivity, hunger, illness and cruel treatment. It’s a shame it took 50 years for them to be properly acknowledged. The Shoe-Horn Sonata also reminds us of the saving power of singing together, unburdening ourselves of secrets we often carry as shame, and of clinging on to our treasured friendships.

To the thousands of women who didn’t make it through the war and left behind family and friends who loved them dearly - this play is for them.

Thank you to everyone involved in telling this story – one of many.

Jane

Special Thanks

The Australian War Memorial for the images and Tony Nicholson for the use of his van.

Director, Publicity

Jane Binstead

Stage Manager, Set Design, Props

Liesa Silver

Stage Manager

Ken Dutt

Sound Design and Operator

Peter van Brucken

Lighting Design and Operator

Venus Abala

Props

Loretta Donnelly

Casting Committee Liaison

Liz Morris

Publicity

Isabelle Stone

Photographer

Sandra Hogan

Bridie

Eve Wheeler

Sheila

Mary Woodall

Interviewer

Michael McNish

Voice of Young Sheila

Jade Davis

Voice of Young Bridie

Portia Taggart

Recorded Choir

Colleen Lock, Ruth Gabriel, Anne Darch, Ken Dutt

Voice of Japanese Soldier

Luke Hackett

Cast

Bridie

Eve Wheeler

Eve began performing from a very young age. She has engaged in a wide range of performance genres including stand-up comedy, short film, improv and theatre. Theatre credits include Pearl in Ladies Down Under, Meredith in The Eulogy, Andi in Cut, Margaret in Money and Friends, Gloria Green in The World Bra Unclipping Championship at Garimba, Monica in Caravan and many more.

This is Eve’s third time performing the role of Bridie in The Shoe-Horn Sonata. Being a former Australian Army nurse herself, this role holds a particularly special place in her heart and brings a very personal connection to the role.

Sheila

Mary Woodall

Mary has been a member of VPs since her junior theatre days. She has been involved in over 70 plays as director, actor and backstage crew. Mary was most recently seen in The Importance of Being Earnest, Quartet, and The Madwoman of Chaillot. The Shoe-Horn Sonata has a special meaning for Mary as her father was a World War II pilot who flew the first post war plane into Singapore to bring home the Changi POWs. She has loved being a part of the cast and crew of this wonderful, moving play of friendship and survival.

Interviewer

Michael McNish

Michael has called VP home since 2010. Playing in more than 20 Brisbane community theatre productions, he’s portrayed many men who are not coping. Recent highlights include roles in Macbeth and My Brilliant Career both with St Luke’s Theatre.

Favourite characters include the tightly wound Walter Bryce in Natural Causes, scheming Joseph Surface in The School for Scandal, Richard in The Lion in Winter, and Don John in Much Ado About Nothing - a rogues gallery!

Most recently, Michael played Charles Condomine in Villanova Players’ Blithe Spirit, where he hardly left the stage. This production couldn’t be more of a contrast!

Voice of Young Sheila

Jade Davis

Voice of Young Bridie

Portia Taggart

Recorded Choir

Colleen Lock, Ruth Gabriel, Anne Darch, Ken Dutt

Voice of Japanese Soldier

Luke Hackett

Crew

Jane Binstead

Director, Publicity

Jane has been involved in theatre for more than 20 years and loving every minute of it. In 2025, she played the role of Gwen in Away. In 2024 she played Sheree in Villanova Players’ (VPs) Sweet Delilah Swim Club and had a hoot getting comedic with 4 amazing, fun women. This was a big contrast to Lindy Chamberlain in Letters to Lindy (2022). Highlights with VPs include going solo in comedy Her Big Chance, by Alan Bennett (2020); The Memory of Water and Edith Stein (both 2009) and Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet. A couple of Jane’s other favourites include Private Lives with St Luke’s Theatre (2018); The Philadelphia Story radio play with Nash (2017) and Beyond Reasonable Doubt with Sunnybank Theatre (2016).