The Frozen Deep

Originally performed as a play starring Dickens and Collins - few people know of this prose version, found here in a new edition, a little masterpiece by the author of The Moonstone and The Woman in White, which was to be the inspiration for Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.

Based on the doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, The Frozen Deep is a dramatic tale of vengeance and self-sacrifice.

Exchanging vows of love with sailor Frank Aldersley the night before his departure, Clara Burnham is haunted by the memory of Richard Wardour, and his mistaken belief that they will one day marry.

On different ships, the two men have no cause to meet - until disaster strikes and they find themselves united by their battle for survival.

When they learn of their rivalry, there follows an act of pure selflessness, making The Frozen Deep one of Collins' most moving and tragic works.