Costume and Set Design for a Prisoner of War Camp Performance of the Mikado

Thomas Burke worked as a radio officer in the Merchant Navy during the Second World War. He was captured in Cyprus in 1941 and over a period of five years was a Prisoner of War in several camps. This sketch reflects the time he spent in one of those camps. 'The Mikado' is a comic opera created by Arthur Sullivan and WS Gilbert in 1885. The opera is set in Japan and begins in a town called Titipu. Burke's sketch shows the Prisoners of War dressed in Japanese costume while re-enacting a scene from 'The Mikado'.