Play: Tom Crean, Antarctic Explorer

7pm

Sat. 7th February 2026

£20pp

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Tom Crean (1877 – 1938) the intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes is brought to life in this dramatic and humorous solo performance by Aidan Dooley.

Hear the riveting true stories of Crean’s Antarctic explorations as one of the few men to serve with both Scott and Shackleton and survive three famous expeditions.

Crean’s story is a testament of human fortitude against all the elements of Antarctic. His 36 mile solitary trek to base camp during the Terra Nova expedition to rescue his comrades Teddy Evans and William Lashly has been described by Antarctic historians as “the finest feat of individual heroism from the entire age of exploration”.

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Aidan Dooley first performed ‘Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer’ at Siamsa Tire, Tralee 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 was seen in Galway Girl and Melody (Celctic Coupling) in the UK Fuse Festival. 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 idea of a performance on Tom Crean originated.

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This performance has been kindly supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as part of Dundee Heritage Trust’s Festival of Heritage 2025-26.