| CHARACTERS | DESCRIPTION |
| MAIN | |
| Selwyn Archer | First year engineering student at Liverpool University of Technology (LUT) UK. Very intelligent, hard worker, geekish, gangly and awkward mesomorph. Always looks worried. Does not show emotions. Avoids social activities. Does not get jokes or sarcasm. Tells irrelevant monologues. Thrifty efficient minimalist. Owns only two sweaters, knitted by mother and identical. Washes his hands before going to the toilet. Wants to get first-class degree and become an oil tycoon. |
| Tom | Classmate with Selwyn. White Jamaican. Has chronic acne on back. Talks to inanimate objects. Always optimistic; dances reggae everywhere to portable record player. Wants to get good degree. |
| Larry Anapolis | Classmate with Selwyn. Enthusiastic gang leader. Tall with barrel chest. Has a phobia of dog excrement. Always creating stunts to self-promote. Seldom studies and hands in work copied from Selwyn. Wants to be powerful. |
| Richard | Classmate with Selwyn. Strong white Ugandan endomorph. Garrulous debater who interrupts others with loud interjection of conventional views. Astonishingly hairy body. Picks invisible lint off his clothing while conversing. Wants to get a first class degree and become a wealthy financier. |
| Roger | Classmate with Selwyn. Schooled in Kenya, mature and pragmatic outlook, blind without glasses. Enjoys fixing under cars. Smokes continually. Gravelly voice. Wants a good degree and to become an oil expert. |
| Bruce | Classmate with Selwyn. Australian who quotes literature irrelevantly and inserts swear words into other words e.g. ‘What is the assignbloodyment?’. Always chews a toothpick; tries to speak with New York gangster accent. Wants to get a good degree and become a business analyst. |
| Jozef | Graphic design student at LUT; Polish origin. Light ectomorph. Friendly with Larry’s engineering gang. Wants to do PhD research into governance of liberated Poland. |
| Howard Archer | Farmer in Yorkshire Dales, Selwyn’s older brother, rugby player. Wants to travel and find a wife who would be happy on farm. |
| Vicki Hillstone | First year biology student at LUT. Parts long copper coloured hair to see out. Angelic oval face and shapely body. Strong values, ardent feminist, good listener, good debater, skilled discussion leader, sometimes loses her temper with scratchy screams. Very idealistic and wants to help impoverished children. |
| Bridget | First year chemistry student at LUT. Straightens hair with a flat iron. Idealistic and a passionate activist against racial discrimination. Skilled at clarifying racial problems. Wants to get a good degree and do PhD research into ethical drugs for treatment of mental disorders. |
| Barbara | Liverpool dental assistant went to school with Lisa and Margot. Looks like fashion model Twiggy, thin and bony. Dresses conservatively in blouses and skirts at knee length. Lacks self-confidence and generally submits to others. Self conscious in groups. |
| Hugh Stevenson | Engineering PhD student, Sidmouth Hall. Bearded, boisterous, and loud, he humorously ridicules everything and everybody. Well-liked, he makes his own clothes; wears white suits. He cannot be persuaded to willingly fit into a group. |
| Rachel | Self-employed ex-Art College student, youth revolution activist, brunette, big hair, hotpants and long boots. She adores discussing philosophy and her work in progress is her amazing personality. |
| Ruth | Statuesque Canadian school health advisor, autocratic, radical feminist who loves children and wants to have a baby as soon as possible. |
| William Tinibu | Black-skinned postgraduate student in petroleum engineering at LUT. Debater with lofty political ambitions at home in famine-ravaged Bigeria. |
| Helen | Hippy Calgary psychologist, colour coded clothing, idealist, activist for rights of indigenous people, opinionated, forceful, feminist. |
| Bryce Cullan | Owner and skipper of the sailing yacht Ermelo, from Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a tall, blonde-haired, raw-boned, Apartheid policeman, autocratic, racial bigot. |
| SUPPORTING | |
| Alan | Crewman on yacht Ermelo, heavy weather sailor, solicitor, London. |
| Angie | Women’s Liberation movement barrister |
| Belinda | Accountant, drives sports car |
| Bob Walker | Chief Executive Officer, Canoil, engineer, energetic, compassionate, talks in idioms and cliches. |
| Charles Picard | Prime Minister of Canada, pompous, reformer, suspicious of Canoil. |
| Clare | Nurse, Liverpool Hospital, adventuress. |
| Deborah | Ice-skater, Olympic Gold medallist, adventuress. |
| Estelle | Hippy, American, short, constantly quotes movies. |
| Geneva | Hippy leader, American, charismatic, radical feminist. |
| Gilda | Classmate with Vicki, petit, pleasant. |
| Greg | Beefy crewman on yacht Ermelo, accountant, Durban, |
| Hayley | Statuesque, red hair, student social worker, James’ girlfriend. |
| Heather Archer | Selwyn’s younger sister, at high school studying for university entrance. |
| James | Petroleum engineer ex-LUT petroleum engineer with Canoil, balding.. |
| Jennifer | First year chemistry student at LUT, classmate of Vicki, attractive, blonde. |
| Linda | First year sports science student at LUT, tall, attractie, netball player. |
| Lisa Weinstein | Liverpool business secretary, insightful, attractive, Larry’s girfriend. |
| Lynne | Freelance News Reporter, London, adventuress. |
| Manfred | Reservoir engineer at LUT, friend of Selwyn. |
| Maria | Novice crewperson on yacht Ermelo, casino croupier, attractive, Brazilian-African. |
| Margot | Liverpool medical receptionist, ebullient, Tom’s girlfriend. |
| Mathy | PhD research student at Leeds Uni, from Sri Lanka, adventuress. |
| Peter Huntley | Ex-petroleum engineer, aerobatics instructor, living in UK. |
| Ralph Gooder | Chairman Canoil Board, tall, white-hair, tanned, paternalistic, ruthless. |
| Robert | Dales farmer, friend of Howard, rugby player. |
| Sally | LUT Engineering Department Professor’s secretary, adventuress. |
| Sandra | Liverpool real estate investor, young, American, adventuress. |
| Scot | PhD research, mechanical engineering, artificial limb developer, Toronto, tall, dark, athletic |
| Stacey | Hippy, American, tall, awkward, diffident |
| Thug | Canoil bodyguard, stocky, snow trekker. |
| Vanessa | Hippy, American, short, self-absorbed |
| Wendy | Sailor in Around Britain races; adventuress |
| Wilbur | American, LUT researcher into commodity markets. |
