Discovering Antarctica
HEROIC TALES OF SHACKLETON, CREAN, SCOTT
Written and performed by
Tom Crean
Born 1877 in Kerry, Ireland. Joined the Royal Navy at 15 years of age. Served on “Discovery” from 1901 – 1904 and “Terra Nova” 1910 -1913 under Captain Robert Scott and from 1914 – 1916 served on “Endurance” under Sir Ernest Shackleton. Survived for months trapped on the ice floes after the ship was crushed and journeyed with Shackleton and four others in a 21-foot lifeboat, across the South Atlantic (800 miles). They scaled the uncharted glaciers of South Georgia to reach help for their stricken colleagues left behind. Received the “Albert Medal” for bravery. Returned to UK in 1916 to serve out the remaining time of WW1 and was medically discharged in 1919. He married a girl from Annascaul called Nell Herlihy, and returned home to Ireland. They brought up two daughters Mary and Eileen. Sadly their middle daughter Kate died aged 4 in 1924. He remained in Annascaul, where he ran a public house with Nell until his death in 1938 of a burst appendix, aged 61.
The Journey of the Play
Discovering Antarctica – The Heroic Tales of Shackleton, Crean & Scott (also known as Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer) written and performed by Aidan Dooley premiered at The Medway Fuse Festival and then The New York International Fringe Festival in August 2003, where it won the ‘Best Solo Performance Award’. In the same year the show played the Dublin Fringe Festival, where it picked up a ‘Best Actor Nomination’.
The show originated from a fifteen minute Living History performance on Tom Crean created by Aidan Dooley for London’s National Maritime Museum’s Antarctic Exhibition ‘South’ in 2001. Following the publication of Michael Smith’s book about Tom Crean called ‘Unsung Hero’ the show was developed over a two year period with several small try out performances in Ireland, including a performance in front of Crean’s remaining family at the Tom Crean Society’s memorial in Annascaul.
Between 2004 and 2005 the show toured to over 30 venues across Ireland, and also played two sell- out seasons at the Northern Stage Theatre Vermont, USA.
2006 saw the show return to the USA playing a sell-out three week season at The Sugan Theatre at Boston Centre for the Arts where the show was nominated for an ‘Outstanding Solo Performance Award’ at that years’ Elliot Norton, Boston Theatre Critics Awards. The show then returned to Ireland to play the first of two sell-out, five week seasons at Andrews Lane Theatre Dublin, the second season following the triumphant success at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival where the show won a Fringe First Award.
In 2007 after its sell-out success at the Brighton Festival, the show returned to Ireland to play two capacity weeks at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre, before travelling to the Adelaide Fringe Festival Australia, via seasons in Florida, Vermont, Malta, Dubai and Geneva. It then went back to the USA to play an eight week sell-out season at the Award Winning Irish Repertory Theatre in New York before returning to the UK to complete a four week UK tour.
2008 saw the production receive its London premiere at the New End Theatre, where it played a six week limited run to capacity houses and got awarded the Time Out Critics Choice before returning to Dublin for a third sell-out week engagement at the Olympia Theatre which, by popular demand, then transferred to the Gaiety Theatre Dublin for a further two weeks.
Since 2009 the show has continued to tour extensively both in Ireland and internationally.
It was seen in New Zealand at the International Arts Festival. In 2015, 2017 and 2019 it returned ‘by popular demand’ to Ireland and UK. After 2020 COVID has enforced the show being ‘rested’ like the rest of us but in 2023 it was seen in Vancouver, returned to the 3Olympia in Dublin for the sixth residency with a 2 week run. The show then toured Ireland and UK to finish that year. In 2024 we saw a return ‘by popular demand’ to Vancouver, an Alaskan Cruise with Cunard and finally shows in Dublin and Kerry. In 2025 we saw a performance in Kenmare to start and now a UK tour in November with an extensive Irish tour in Feb/March 2026. Amazing!!
For more tour details at www.tomcreanshow.com
Aidan Dooley
Aidan is from Galway, Ireland. He trained at Guilford School of Acting and works as a freelance actor, writer and director in London. Highlights of his career as an actor include ‘Translations’ – National Theatre, London. ‘Philadelphia Here I Come’ - Wyndhams Theatre London. ‘Elegies for Angels’ - Criterion Theatre London. ‘DA’ - White Bear Theatre London. ‘Players and Painted Stage’,’ ‘Last Apache Reunion'- SOS Theatre Bristol, National Tours of ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Tales of the Lost Formicans’ - Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company, Galway Girl and Melody in the UK Fuse Festival, ‘Crossed Keys’- Eastern Angles Theatre Company,‘Beyond the Brooklyn Sky’ – Red Kettle Theatre. He recently directed the sell-out solo show ‘The Cable’ at Siamsa Tire Theatre in Ireland.
He first performed ‘Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer’ twenty years ago at The South Pole Inn, Annascaul for Tom Crean’s family and then at the Medway Fuse Festival followed by The New York International Fringe Festival (Best Solo Show Award Winner). He has also been nominated for awards at The Dublin Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival and The Elliot Norton Theatre Critics Award Boston and in 2006 won the prestigious Fringe First at Edinburgh.
He toured his other solo show Our Last Chieftain - O’Sullivan Beara in 2011 - 2013.
His book ‘TRAVELS with TOM CREAN - Antarctic Explorer’ has been published in 2016. It tells the story of his journey with Tom Crean; how the play was written, how it grew from an unknown show with an unknown actor into an award-winning hit that has been performed all over the world.
He has worked for many years developing various performance pieces and historical characters for all the National Museums in England including the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich where the Tom Crean show started. He is a Co-Director of Play On Words Theatre Co.He is the Co-Artistic Director of Play On Words Theatre Co. He has been an Associate Lecturer in Drama at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent since 2006. He lives in Rochester with his wife Miriam and has two children Liam and Nancy.
Play On Words Theatre
Formed in 1990 and is based in Rochester, Kent UK. The company has produced: ‘Prostitutes Only Marry in May’ (formerly Sister Queens) tours of N. Ireland and Scotland; Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer (2001-26), touring Ireland, UK, Australia, USA including a Fringe First @ The Edinburgh Festival ’06; Galway Girl and Melody for Medway Fuse Festival 2009. It toured Ireland in 2011-2013 with: Our Last Chieftain - O’Sullivan Beara. It’s educational arm has toured Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth and numerous workshop performances on many of Shakespeare’s other plays as well as performances on science and history for schools.
It has run drama summer schools in the Channel Islands and was resident directing company for The Brook Youth Theatre, Chatham. Its production ‘Sister Queens' (the relationship between Qn. Eliz 1 & Mary Qn of Scots) was seen in 2012 at Waterloo East Theatre, London, where it received a nomination in the ‘off West-End’ awards for best female performance. This production will be seen in a UK tour in Oct 2026 and March 2027 . It has co-produced the acclaimed and highly successful Christmas shows for 3 – 6 year olds with The Creatives @ The Brook Theatre, Chatham, 2010-2022
www.playonwordstheatre.com
Special Thanks
Jane Dewey who saw the potential of a performance on Tom Crean and was an inspiration to that process.
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Michael Smith whose book Unsung Hero by Collins Press has been a constant and
essential source in the ‘knowing’ of and the ‘being’ of Tom Crean.
Dave McGilton for the use of the ballad ‘Tom Crean’ www.davemcgilton.com
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