Captain Arthur Phillips.
In the play, he is the Governor in Chief of New South Wales and has come out of retirement to do this job. He aims to make the prisoners believe that they are not slaves and have a hope for the future. Throughout the play he encourages Ralph Clark to continue with the play and is seen as a fair and wise person.
Major Robbie Ross
Major Robbie Ross fought and lost in the war against America which he believes is the reason why he was sent with the First Fleet to Australia. Throughout the play he is a bitter and negative person. He does not want the play “The Recruiting Officer” to happen and tries to stop it at every point by creating tension between the convicts and Lieutenant Ralph Clark. Ultimately he is always overruled by Captain Arthur Phillips.
Captain David Collins
Collins was sent over to be the judge in the colony. He always converses from a legal standpoint and justifies all his answers. A key moment in the play is when Collins conducts a vote to determine whether or not the play goes through. He sides with Ralph Clark in this vote and helps him throughout the play.
Captain Watkin Tench
Tench is a character that hates all the convicts simply because they are convicts. He does not believe that the convicts can become members of society again and always makes sarcastic side comments about them. He is the complete opposite to Phillips in that he believes that they do not deserve redemption and will never achieve it.
Captain Jemmy Campbell
Captain Campbell is said to be drunk the entire play, he is always mumbling and never makes coherent sentences. He constantly follows Ross and agrees with everything he says while finding the convicts in the play amusing.
Reverend Johnson
Johnson isn’t a very prominent character in the play. He was supposed to provide moral guidance to the convicts and the officers. He is very concerned with what the play portrays religiously and focuses more on that than any other matter.
Lieutenant George Johnston
Johnston is also not a main character in the play and is known for treating woman sinners with compassion. During the vote he votes for the play.
Lieutenant Will Dawes
Dawes is the colony’s astronomer and he couldn’t care less about the convicts or the officers. He agrees to the play going ahead as long as he doesn’t have to watch it.
Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark
Ralph is an officer that is trying desperately to get a promotion. He tries to take on every responsibility so when he hears about the play he immediately agrees to direct and organize it. He starts off shy and scared of women but grows into a character who falls in love with a convict and becomes more and more assertive. His attitude towards the convicts changes, heavily influenced by Phillip and he ends up treating the convicts far better.
Second Lieutenant William Faddy
Faddy is against the idea of the play because he does not like Ralph Clark. He only appears in one scene (Act one, Scene six) where he constantly makes snide comments to Ralph and expresses his distaste for him through insults directed at Ralph.
Midshipman Harry Brewer
Harry Brewer is also an officer but the lowest ranking one. He is haunted by the ghost of Handy Baker, a man he hanged and struggles to find his place in the colony. When he got to Australia he became involved with convict Duckling Smith. He becomes very overprotective and jealous and watches over Duckling constantly. Eventually, he dies, with Duckling crying at his side.
An Aboriginal Australian
The Aboriginal watches the colony from the moment they set foot in Australia. He regards them with curiosity and caution. He ends up catching a common disease they bring with them as he breaks out with red bumps everywhere.
John Arscott
Arscott is a convict; he is hopeless and opposed to optimism. This approach is heightened when he discovers that the compass he bought from a sailor is a north arrow drawn on a piece of paper. He becomes the most invested in the play and feels that when he acts his role he feels nothing and forgets about his life as a convict.
Black Caesar
Caesar is originally from Madagascar and wishes to join the play. After begging for a role he ends up being Worthy’s servant (A silent part) and beats the drum for Kite. Despite all this, he ends up getting stage fright and needs to be threatened by the other actors in the play.
Ketch Freeman
He was transported to Australia for killing a sailor who broke a strike. He claims that he didn’t do it, that the blame was placed on him unfairly. He becomes the hangman of the colony after being given the choice to hang or be hanged. Ketch struggles to fit in as he is loathed by the other convicts, especially Liz Morden. He is desperate to act in the play but no one wants to go near him. He also blames his situation on leaving his ‘guardian angel’ in Ireland.
Robert Sideway
Sideway was sent to Australia for pickpocketing. He reflects fondly on his days pickpocketing outside the theater and tries impress Ralph with his knowledge. He tries to fit in with the officers and act like an upper class man but continues to become frustrated and slip out of it. He speaks of knowing many things about theater but his acting is over-dramatic and humorous in the first rehearsal. In the final scene, he mentions that he wants to start his own theatre company which is supported by the other convicts volunteering to help write and act.
John Wisehammer
Wisehammer was arrested for stealing snuff. He claims he is innocent and struggles to fit in with Liz Morden and Ross’ anti-semitism. He taught himself how to read and is widely knowledgeable in many areas. He writes an alternate prologue to the play (which contains the title “Our Country’s Good) but Ralph rejects it as it would upset the officers. He wishes to stay in Australia after his release and write plays.
Mary Brenham
Mary Brenham is a shy girl who was dragged into stealing by the man with the initials “A.H” tattooed on her thigh. She gets hauled to the auditions for the play by Dabby Bryant and ends up getting accepted after only reading a few lines. Her and Ralph fall in love and imagine a future together however there is always a power dynamic imbalance with Ralph believing he is better than her because she is a convict.
Dabby Bryant
Dabby Bryant is Mary’s best friend and constantly speaks about returning to Devon.On the ship, she sold Mary to a sailor on the ship in exchange for extra food rations for them both however she does care about Mary. Bryant’s opinion on the play is that it’s stupid and she also dislikes her part as she argues it should be more relevant to the situation they’re in. Nevertheless, she seems to enjoy taking part in the play. In the final scene she decides she will try and escape that night.
Liz Morden
Liz Morden was known as the most troublesome convict in the colony. Governor Phillip tries to make an example out of her by showing that she can be redeemed. He does this by putting her in the play. At the end of the first act she is accused of stealing food but she does not try to defend herself because she believes it is not worth it because no one will listen. Through the play she develops self worth and starts to deny the allegations against her.
Duckling Smith
Duckling was a thief and a prostitute and was sentenced to death at 18 years old. She is taken in by Harry Brewer as he is in love with her and allows her to sleep in his quarters. She also gets treated better than the other convicts as she has been claimed by an officer. The feeling is not mutual until Harry is on the brink of death when she confesses her love for him.
Meg Long
Nicknamed “Shitty Meg,” she is a procuress of sorts for the other convicts. Her appearance in the play is when she mistakes the audition as a call for women.
