REVIEW | Fisherman's Friends: The Musical
★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Emmie
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.
A charming real-life story of unlikely success comes to life in this production about Cornish’s biggest buoy band who finds fame. The production itself played to packed houses at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro - where it broke box office records as the most successful production in the venue’s history. Now its sailing across the UK on its UK tour, there’s no stopping this show which is capturing the hearts of audiences hook, line and sinker.
This story has already executed a hit album in 2010 and two film adaptations followed. Amanda Whittington’s musical which is based on the screenplay, transfers smoothly and is jam-packed with this overwhelming aurora of warmth that audiences will enjoy. The script is certainly linear, and very predictable, but there are some lovely doses of humour and cynicism that emphasise the overall finish. The quick whips towards Cornish traditions are a genuine nod to its foundations. Alongside that is the presentation of Lucy Osborne’s slick design of Port Issac portrays a natural and automatic charm as the curtain rises. Osborne certainly steers this production in the right direction - as there are many different important places that joins Fisherman’s Friends together.
In this production, London music exec Danny (Jason Langley) discovers the fishermen and their beautiful sound. Later the group travel to London and sing for a music agent, whose girlfriend captures the unlikely talent and posts it online. With their music now viral - people discover the pure warmth and timeless music of sea shanties.
The beating heart of this show is of course the music - and the impact is infectious! 37 songs come to life in a superb sound that vibrates through the space like no other, resulting in many people stomping along to the familiar sea shanties. The show also does its best to highlight the importance of sea shanties and their history among sailors. This delivers depth and soul to the performance as we learn of the real life tragedies that led to their creation.
The cast in this production offers a unique contribution as their characters. There are many layers to Fisherman’s Friends and we certainly see a lot of different storylines play out in this community.
The Fishermen's Friends themselves have a natural connection with one another that is endearing to witness. Jim (James Gaddas), Jago (Robert Duncan), Rowan (Dan Buckley), Yestin (Dominic Brewer), Wiggy (Martin Carroll), Archie (Hadrian Delacey), Ben (Dakota Starr), Leadville (Pete Gallagher) and Frank (Nicholas Tizzard) collectively supply the audience with an unforgettable night at the theatre. Their epic range of vocals perfectly blend together in this production.
Other standouts for me include the delightful Susan Penhaligon’s straight-talking, meddling grandma Maggie and James Gaddas’ power as the steadfast boss Jim, a character undercut by emotions that he refuses to engage with. This cast fuse together the gorgeous ability to have actor-musicians playing a huge part in how this performance is executed.
Fisherman’s Friends is an extraordinary story that is life-affirming and a true delight to watch!
At Curve, Leicester until 1 April as part of the UK Tour.
