The Sailor’s Dream – The New Theatre – Review
by Frank L.

The Sailor’s Dream written by Jack Harte – (Inspired by Kevin Cronin’s book)
Event Dates: 08/04/2025 – 12/04/2025

In 1845, Sir John Franklin led an expedition “to discover the Northwest Passage, a sea route from Europe to Asia between the Arctic and the Canadian Mainland”.   He set out with the two best ships of the Royal Navy – Erebus and Terror, and 129 crew. They disappeared without a trace, but they were not forgotten, particularly by his widow, Lady Jane, a formidable force, who was determined to find out what happened.

Bureaucratic incompetence, complacency and lethargy stood in her way.  She had a healthy contempt for the white-haired old men who populated the Admiralty. However, she was an effective campaigner and with figures such as Charles Dickens and Lord Tennyson, she made considerable progress. But many questions remained unanswered. In the twenty-first century, a great deal more has been discovered by further expeditions, but there is still more to discover, not least the whereabouts of Sir John Franklin’s grave and its secrets.

The story is told, with at times a fine sense of comedy, by five actors – Darina Gallagher, Emily Healy, Ruairi Lenaghan, Jed Murray, and Eoin O’Sullivan, who between them represent 14 different characters. Gallagher’s role is confined to the widow Lady Jane, and she is not to be denied in her attempts to find out what happened to the expedition. She is determined. She is ably assisted by the four other actors as they play their multiplicity of roles. The whole performance is an example of fine ensemble acting. In addition, Lenaghan accompanies on the guitar members of the cast as they sing various ballads, and indeed Gallagher and Healy sing a duet unaccompanied beautifully.

The set consists of a wooden floor which tapers like the deck of a sailing boat on which is a ship’s chest, four rudimentary stools and a ship’s bell. On the back wall, a white sail is hoisted. It gives a nautical feel to the setting.

The Sailor’s Dream is an intriguing story which is largely forgotten. The widow Lady Jane shows many traits of a twentieth-century feminist who is not going to be denied. She was ahead of her time. It is a story worth telling, and the five actors do so to create a fine piece of theatre.

Creative team

Lady Jane Franklin: Darina Gallagher
Sophia Cracroft, Emily Tennyson: Emily Healy
Kevin, Sir John Franklin, Captain William Coppin, Captain Leopold McClintock: Eoin O’Sullivan
Tom, Captain James Fitzjames, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens: Jed Murray
Captain Francis Crozier, Dr John Rae: Ruairí Lenaghan

Writer – Jack Harte
Director – Andy Crook

Lighting Design – Avram Rosewood
Set Design- Martin Cahill
Costume Design – Toni Bailey
Stage Management- Eva Walsh

Inspired by Kevin Cronin’s book, The Search for Franklin: An Irish Connection.

Photos by Al Craig.