A testament of human fortitude against all the elements of Antarctica, Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer is brought to life in this dramatic solo performance at the Watergate in Kilkenny.
Crean’s 36-mile solitary trek to rescue his comrades Teddy Evans and William Lashly during the Terra Nova expedition has been described by Antarctic historians as the ‘finest feat of individual heroism from the entire age of exploration’.
Written and performed by Aidan Dooley, Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer premiered at 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’.
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. The show returned to the USA in 2006, playing a sell-out three week season at the Sugan Theatre at Boston Centre for the Arts.
The show then returned to Ireland to play the first of two sell-out, five week seasons at Andrew’s Lane Theatre, 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 in Australia.
In 2008, the production received its London premier at the New End Theatre, where it played a six week limited run to capacity houses and got awarded the Time Out Critics before returning to Dublin for a third sell-out week engagement at the Olympia Theatre, which, by popular demand, then transferred to the Gaeity Theatre Dublin for a further two weeks.
Tom Crean – Antartic Explorer will be performed at the Watergate Theatre Friday and Saturday November 18-19 at 8pm. Tickets €20/€18 are available at the box office (056 ) 77 61674 www.watergatetheatre.com
