An Antarctic Epic


An Antarctic Epic is a 1933 Australian radio drama by Edmund Barclay about the Scott Expedition to Antarctica. It was the first radio drama script by Barclay who went on to become arguably Australia's leading radio writer.
A copy of the script is available at University of Queensland's Fryer Library.

Original production

Barclay later recalled, "In those very early days, the indigenous Australian radio playwright — and you could count us on the fingers of one hand and still have some to spare - were like our colleagues overseas, struggling with an entirely new technique. Antarctic Epic was the first full-length experiment of its kind, written and produced in Australia by an Australian writer for Australian listeners."
According to a contemporary account, "In writing this play, Mr. Barclay has taken advantage of the new radio technique of allowing scenes to blend into one another, for which Wagnerian music will be used, so that from the time the play commences until the end, covering in all a period of six months, there is not a single break."
Reviewing the 1933 production the Wireless Weekly called it "a most competent piece of work; the transitions from the party at the base to the ex-peditionary party, the music and the effects, were all well worked... As for the material of the play, it is a demonstration of how the English gentleman of recent days reacts to a heroic environment."
A 1933 newspaper article said this and Barclay's Eureka Stockade were "remarkably successful historical dramas."

Later versions

The production was repeated in 1935.
A new production was given in 1947. At that time Barclay reflected, "After all these years, I can see its many faults, but I will always have a fondness for it. Not only was it my very first radio play, but, being producer as well as author, I cast myself in a small part, my first, last, and only appearance before the microphone."

Premise

The story of Captain Scott's Antarctic Expedition.

Cast of 1933 production