This is a ground-breaking investigation of a neglected area of research: the musical and theatrical performances that occurred in Japanese prisoner of war camps in Southeast Asia during World War II, and the critical role they played in the survival of Allied POWs. Captive Audiences/Captive Performers not only recovers the lost history of these performances and of the Officers and Enlisted Men who were compelled by the appalling circumstances to entertain their fellow prisoners, it also examines what this entertainment was, how it was produced, and why it was instrumental in keeping the POWs alive.
