In fact they part without violence, however it is till clear that the convicts are still hostile and anti-sociable. On the next encounter between Dabby and Liz it seems as if there hostility will result in n a fight and it is only the appearance of the hangman Ketch which prevents this. Although they clearly hate each other they hate the hangman more and unite to scorn and hurl abuse at him. As the play moves on the play bring s communication between the different characters and we learn of hidden attributes the convicts possess. John Wisehammer for instance is quite cultured commenting on the 'twists' of the 'English language'. We learn also that Mary in kind and endearing two characteristics, one wouldn't expect to find in a penal colony. .

             The transformation is not a magical one and does not cover the entire cast. Five inmates try to escape while pretending to be in the play, stealing food from the stores. As the good character of some of the inmates is revealed the savagery of some of the officers also comes to light. Captain Ross's character, in particular, is revealed in its true form. He had openly shown his disgust of giving the convicts a play, but takes this a step further by disrupting one of their rehearsals. He does so in an attempt to remind them they are 'animals'. He humiliates Sideway by reminding him of a beating in which he wet himself, makes Dabby crawl on her knees like a dog and tells Mary that she has to show them her tattoo that is placed 'high up on her inner thigh'. To complete the reversal of roles the convict's reaction to this is far from barbaric and, shows the comradeship given to them by the play. They simply start acting (once more depicting the power of the play to be civilised) and infuriated by this Captain Ross begins the punishment of another convict in an attempt to disrupt it.

             At this point we can see 'the transforming power of the theatre' at work in the way that the inmates are now relating to each other in a civil way and are far from their hostile primitive selves portrayed at the start of the play.