A TOWN NAMED WAR BOY: ATYP After you see the show: 2015 Premiere Season | Página 2

RELATING THE DIARIES TO
THE SCRIPT

Script Page 52-53
Snow

I lie still in bed, and then when
the night arrives, I walk the
corridors with the ghosts of all my
War Boys.

THE DIARY OF ELLIS SILLAS
(pause)

Ellis Silas (1885-1972), painter and illustrator.
He enlisted in October 1914 and was made a
private in the 16th Battalion, C Company. He
trained as a signaller and embarked for Egypt
from Melbourne, Victoria, on
→ visit Sillas’
board HMAT A40 Ceramic on
facebook page
www.facebook.co 22 December 1914. His unit
landed at Gallipoli on the
m/anzacliveellis
evening of the 25 April 1915
where he served at Pope's Hill, Quinn's Post
and Bloody Angle until 28 May 1915 when he
was evacuated to Egypt suffering from shell
shock and fever.
Our playwright Ross Mueller was inspired by
the final page of his diary.
Read the diary entry and see how it relates
to the script from A Town Named War Boy :

In the future, when the sound of
guns is but an echo, I see the
spirits of my comrades in a boat with me - out on water. Floating
beyond the beach, still in sight,
but no longer in town.
Searching for a face – a voice in
the darkness. These boys will never
grow older, never leave my side –
we will always be my friends and
the lives that they lived have
given future generations of our
young nation - a deeper
understanding of the word
Patriotism.

YOU HAVE A GO
Meuller’s script used Ellis’ mention of the spirits of
his comrades as the ghosts of war all his war boys.
We often hear a word or phrase repeated a number
of times to enhance the sense of other worldliness.
→ In groups of 4 or 5, create a tableau of Snow
surrounded by the ghosts of his comrades. Develop
a line for each of the ghost characters.
→ Ghosts play with all of the different ways you
can deliver this line. Think about volume, emphasis
and relationship to others.
→ Develop the tableau into a scene using the
repetition from the ghosts.
→ Present to the class
→ Discuss the effect of repetition on the scenes
presented.

LITERACY ACTIVITY
→ Write your own diary entry from the perspective
of your favourite character from the play. Think
about the people places and activities they would
mention at home and on the battlefield.
→ Create a character profile of the character you
have chosen.