It's been 80 years since a German naval cruiser took out a convoy of 38 merchant ships mid-Atlantic, carrying much-needed gasoline and provisions for the Blitz-besieged defense of England. The motor tanker San Demetrio was one of those ships, spawning an incredible saga.

Abandoned by her crew by a captain who feared the volatile cargo would explode, she was left to burn. Two of the three lifeboats were rescued, but the third, with 16 merchant marines, drifted for several days, risking death from exposure or being discovered by the German raiders. When they spotted a fire on the horizon, it turned out to be the still-burning San Demetrio. The crew faced a dilemma, re-board the ship or risk death from exposure. The outcome boosted morale in war-torn England and led to a precedent-setting maritime law case.

The writer-actor and Ojai resident John Mawson wrote the screenplay that is being turned into an 11-episode "audio movie" coming this spring with state-of-the-art sounds technology to create an immersive experience that puts the listener into the heart of the action. Acting greats Brian Cox and John Malkovich, along with "Game of Thrones" star Thomas Brodie-Sangster star.

Mawson, who has been fascinated by the sea since his earliest memories, spent 13 years as an officer in the Merchant Marine, navigating tankers and other ships with simple instruments such as sextants and astrolabes. He retired from the sea just as Global Positioned Satellites revolutionized a lot of things, including his job. He's been a busy actor ever since. 

We talk about how this project came to life in the depths of the pandemic, and the talented team he's assembled around it. We also talk about pirates, Sir Ernest Shackleton and the acting life. We didn't get around to talking about Yankee clipper ships, the Chinese treasure fleets or sea shanty songs.