Our partner, Theatr na nÓg, presents their play The Arandora Star – which tells the story of the Italian communities living in Wales during WWII – as a live theatre production at The Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea in Spring 2022.

When Italy entered the war in the summer of 1940, Italians living in Wales and the rest of the UK were branded as enemy aliens. On the 1st of July 1940, The Arandora Star, mistaken for a troop ship, is torpedoed by a German U-boat on the coast of Ireland, and sunk with 446 Italian men’s lives lost.

Theatr na nÓg’s upcoming play, The Arandora Star, tells the emotional story of Lina as she struggles to cope with the loss of her father, Guido and how she and her mother, Carmella survive in a time of war and prejudice. The Arandora Star is a true story and will explore the life of Italians living and working in Wales during WWII and follows Lina’s quest for her father and the truth. This play highlights the issues of immigration and integration and is perfect for Key Stage 2 upwards.

The play, workshops and resources support the delivery of all the Welsh Government’s Areas of Learning and Experience in a creative and thought-provoking way. We will continue our collaboration with Theatr na nÓg and look forward to the day of activities.

As soon as you book, you will have access to a wealth of lesson plans and resources to help you plan your project and the opportunity to book a free Technocamps workshop to follow-up on the play.