It sold over two million copies and has come to be regarded as a classic of Australian literature.
[2][3] The play version debuted at the Union Theatre in Sydney on 18 January 1962 as part of a series of three new Australian plays under the auspices of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
The time is August 1945, the place is the infamous Changi Jail in Japanese occupied Singapore.
In the last few days of the war five Australian POW's are faced with summary execution.
It is their job to pass on the news to the rest of the camp to ensure the success of a planned breakout.