AFTER months of building work, the Swan Theatre in Yeovil is re-opening on 17th November with a production of Ted Tally’s Terra Nova – the story of Scott’s famous expedition to the Antarctic between 1910 and 1913.

Officially it was the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and with various scientific and geographical objectives. Scott wanted to be the first to reach the geographic South Pole. He and four companions attained the pole on 17th January 1912, where they found that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had beaten them by 34 days. Scott’s five-strong party died on the return journey. Some of their bodies, journals and photographs were found by a search party eight months later.

For many years after his death, Scott’s status as tragic hero was unchallenged and few questions were asked about the causes of the disasterous outcome. But in the late 20th century, the expedition came under closer scrutiny, and more critical views were expressed about its organisation and management. The precise degree of Scott’s personal culpability and, more recently, the culpability of certain expedition members, remains controversial.

Ted Tally’s play is directed by Brian Williams and is performed, from 17th to 22nd November at 7.45, by William O’Neill as Scot and Peter Fernandez as Amundsen, with Lesley Baker-Evans as Kathleen Scott and Tyrone Trower, Shaun Driver, Dave King and Adrian Harding as the rest of ill-fated group.