This new play explores Emilia Bassano, Shakespeare's `Dark Lady of the Sonnets' in her own right as poet, mother and feminist. For the first time, the focus will be on this brilliant woman who managed to outlive all the men the history books tethered her to. Introducing to the world: Emilia! She's going to make you remember her name.
Nurse Hazel Almonde is caring for injured servicemen during the dark days of the siege of Malta during World War Two when she meets injured Naval Chief Petty Officer Ewan Jones, who has survived an attack on an Italian destroyer. They are immediately attracted to each other. Ewan is recruited into a naval intelligence operation to pose as an Italian naval officer who survived the sinking of the Italian destroyer. Hazel becomes his contact as the nurse attending the POW camp. Ewan infiltrates the Axis POWs to find out the invasion plans for Malta. Their relationship is severely tested when she suffers a harrowing ordeal at the hands of the Gestapo after the POW ship is captured and taken to Tripoli. Ewan escapes and finds himself in the Long Range Desert Group. Hazel is tormented again but rejoins Ewan. They return to Malta and are married, but the war continues.
Set against the backdrop of World War Two, the narrative unfolds a passionate romance between a naval officer and a nurse amid the turmoil in Malta and Italy. As the nurse leads a group of caregivers to Italy, she becomes the target of the NKVD and a vengeful SS officer. Captured alongside her fellow nurses, she ultimately reunites with her husband during a daring rescue. Their love is tested through sabotage and danger, culminating in a dramatic showdown that solidifies their bond as they look forward to starting a family together.
Set against the backdrop of D-Day and the subsequent battles, the narrative follows a Royal Navy officer and a Red Cross nurse whose lives intertwine amid wartime chaos. The officer's role in deceiving German defenses and intelligence work leads him into dangerous missions, while his wife grapples with her feelings for an American doctor after her husband is reported missing. Their emotional struggles culminate in a reunion, where they reaffirm their love and plan to return to Malta, the place where their romance began.
A twisting two-hander, a psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of Belongings.