The Frozen Deep

by Wilkie Collins

"The Frozen Deep" by Wilkie Collins is a play written in 1856 under the substantial guidance of Charles Dickens. Born from Dickens's emotional response to reports of cannibalism in the doomed Franklin Arctic expedition, this allegorical drama transformed tragedy into theatrical triumph. With Dickens as both stage manager and lead actor, the production moved audiences to tears—from Queen Victoria to common stagehands. The play also fatefully introduced Dickens to actress Ellen Ternan, altering his personal life forever. Its powerful death scene became legendary in Victorian theater.