A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Ian Serraillier's classic wartime story.
When the Germans march into Poland in 1941, the Balickis' happy family life is shattered. With their parents taken away by Nazis, Ruth, Edek and Bronia are forced to fend for themselves in the dangerous, war-ravaged city of Warsaw.
When Edek is captured too, the girls are desperate. Then they meet orphaned street urchin Jan, who carries with him a talisman of hope: a silver sword paperknife that they recognise as having belonged to their mother.
Realising that their parents may still be alive, Ruth and Bronia set off on an epic journey to Switzerland to search for them. With Jan by their side, they are determined to reunite the family - and their first step is to find Edek. But the road ahead is full of danger and hardship, and they will facemany challenges along the way...
This moving story of friendship, courage and solidarity brings to life the reality of a Europe laid waste by war.
Cast:
Ruth - Sarah McDonald Hughes
Edek - Stephen Hoyle
Bronia - Hester Cox
Jan - Aqib Khan
Margaret/Irka/Mrs Wolff - Maggie Fox
Joseph/German 1/Mr Wolff - Malcolm Raeburn
Ivan - David Fleeshman
Soldier/American GI - Andrew Blake
Doctor - Lloyd Peters
Cook/Mrs Borowicz - Szilvi Naray Davey
The Burgomaster/Captain Malinowski - Jonathan Keeble
Adapted by Chris Wallis.
Produced and directed by Charlotte Riches.
The classic tale of a journey through war-torn Europe.
Alone and fending for themselves in a Poland devastated by World War Two, Jan and his three homeless friends cling to the silver sword as a symbol of hope. As they travel through Europe towards Switzerland, where they believe they will be reunited with their parents, they encounter many hardships and dangers. This extraordinarily moving account of an epic journey gives a remarkable insight into the reality of a Europe laid waste by war.
From 11 February to 30 October 2011, The Silver Sword will feature as one of five books in the Imperial War Museum exhibition Once Upon A Wartime: Classic War Stories for Children.
