World War II spy stories centre of musical drama at Persephone Theatre

Photo Credit: Company of ‘The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare,’ written, composed and directed by Jonathan Christenson, performs. The Catalyst Theatre production will be on stage at Persephone Theatre October 23 to November 3, 2024. The set, lighting, costumes and projection design is by Bretta Gerecke. (Supplied / Photo by Dahlia Katz)

If you’re unfamiliar with the stories of female spies in the Second World War, you’re probably not alone — but Persephone Theatre has the perfect production to remedy that for you.

The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a Catalyst Theatre production about fictionalized versions of the stories of real female spies for the Allied Forces in World War II. Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (also referred to as “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”) conducted many covert and daring operations during the war, with some even alleging their work was the inspiration for the character of James Bond.

And while it’s called “ungentlemanly,” the group utilized plenty of women as well as men in schemes of sabotage and subterfuge.

Amanda Trapp, one of the performers in the show, said it’s exciting to highlight the too-often-forgotten accomplishments of women in history.

“I hope women and girls feel empowered to do things that they’ve been told are out of their reach,” she said.

A Saskatoon-based artist, Trapp has been part of The Invisible for more than five years, first auditioning back in 2018 for its first staged production in 2019. The show was supposed to make its Saskatoon debut years ago, but COVID-19 scuttled those plans.

This is the fifth iteration of the show written, directed and composed by Jonathan Christenson, that Trapp has been involved in. And yes, composed is correct — because The Invisible is also a musical, even though Trapp said it’s a bit atypical.

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