A TALE of gritty determination and a hard life bravely lived is told in Dorchester this week.

Oh Mary! is the astounding – and true tale – of Mary Bryant, a Cornish ne'er-do-well, petty thief and highwaywoman who, in 1787, was shipped off to the Australian penal colonies in the first convict shipment.

Not one to buckle under hardship, she gave birth to a daughter she called Charlotte en route and actually managed to escape a life of servitude, somehow sailing over the Great Barrier Reef with her fisherman husband William and a number of other accomplices.

They landed in East Timor where they lived for several years before being captured and sent back to England to face the death sentence.

En route, Mary’s family – which now included a son called Emanuel – died and she returned home something of a notorious celebrity.

Her cause was championed by a lawyer called James Boswell who successfully saw her freed and pardoned, after which she apparently took to a quiet life as nothing more was heard of her.

Mary’s amazing life is brought to life by Cornish actor Bec Applebee, who was a member of Kneehigh Theatre for 15 years.

She said: “It’s the most fabulous story, one of gritty determination but also great sadness and tragedy.

“It’s amazing just how much is known about Mary. Over here, she isn’t really heard of much, but in Australia her history is taught in schools and they have a totally different approach to her.

“We know, for example, that she was five feet four inches, had grey eyes and dark hair – not much like me at all!”

Bec added: “I think there are some quite surreal aspects to the story too.

“She was in the first fleet to go to Australia and when they got there, their clothes would have been rotting off them, but she managed to survive.

“Most of the people there didn’t have any skills – they were soldiers or petty criminals – but Mary’s husband was a useful fisherman.

“I think it must have been amazing for them to cross the Barrier Reef.

“We are used to seeing it on the television, but what must they have thought when they saw all the coloured fish and corals for the first time as they were escaping from Botany Bay to East Timor?”

Although Bec’s show is a one-woman piece, she says it is ‘much more’ than static storytelling.

“It’s a physical piece of theatre with a great soundtrack and lots of humour,” she said. “I try and bring the tale to life and use a lot of props to do so – the part of Mary’s husband is taken by a mop, for instance.”

Oh Mary!, which is suitable for anyone over the age of 11, is at Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday at 8pm.

Call 01305 266926 or pop into the venue at School Lane, The Grove, Dorchester, for tickets and details.