By Sam Eyers
Written in 1943, the little prince is a novel, originally written in French, that encapsulates the fleeting sense of wonder as one grows up. The play, ignited imaginations, evoked emotions, and instilled a thrilling sense of wonder into the audience. Through the eyes of Mr Kennard, this beautiful play encouraged the audience to ponder the actions of childhood and how one can find beauty in the simplest of things.
To put it into perspective for you, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel is inspired by his experiences as a pioneering aviator of the 20th century. On the 30th of December 1935, de Saint-Exupéry, along with his navigator, André Prévot, crashed in the Sahara Desert whilst attempting to break the record for flying between Saigon and Paris. Both men survived the crash landing. However, they were both lost in the desert for many days, with some grapes, 2 oranges, and a small ration of wine (true story) to survive on. De Saint-Exupéry experienced severe hallucinations and close encounters with death in the following days, which have been attributed to his imaginative ideas in the novel, until he was rescued by a Bedouin on the fourth day.
After France fell to Nazi Germany in WW2, de Saint-Exupéry went to America to campaign their involvement in the war. Then he went back and flew for the Free-France as a fighter pilot at age 40, even though his commanders forbade him because of the harsh injuries he had picked up on his many journeys. Tragically, on the 31st of July 1944 he was flying a mission to check the positions of the troops of Germany in the Rhone valley when his plane never returned. After a long-lasting investigation, and the discovery of a plane that matched descriptions of his, indicate that he was not shot down. The real reason of his crash is unknown.
At only age 41, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry would never get to see the success of his whimsical novel that is the most translated book in history, apart from the bible. His stunning work is a must read and was a masterpiece to watch.
The phenomenal acting of the year 8’s, who came from Newington, PLC and MLC brought this play to life and was a testament to the power of adolescents, as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry himself, believed.
“The most important things are visible to the eyes.” (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince)
