Britain's What's On Event Guide
The Freshwater Five
In 2011, five fishermen on the Isle of Wight (Jamie Green, Jon Beere, Daniel Payne, Scott Birtwistle and Zoran Dresic) were sentenced to a total of 104 years for conspiracy to import £53m worth of cocaine. They have always professed their innocence in a tale that has long divided the Isle of Wight community.
This powerful play seeks to present the case and its events on their merits, exploring the state of our coastal communities. Inspired by the wildly popular Guardian Today in Focus podcast, The Freshwater Five incorporates spectacular storytelling, verbatim accounts, inventive stagecraft, poetry and song, delving into historical and contemporary smuggling, deteriorating coastal communities, immigration and folklore.
Award-winning Isle of Wight company Deadman’s debut, fresh from sell-out tours, is now arriving on a national 2026 tour. Led by IOWers artistic director Samuel Bossman, playwright Liam Patrick Harrison’s full-length debut is a detailed and rich theatrical investigation into the men’s tragic downfall and coastal communities.
This powerful play seeks to present the case and its events on their merits, exploring the state of our coastal communities. Inspired by the wildly popular Guardian Today in Focus podcast, The Freshwater Five incorporates spectacular storytelling, verbatim accounts, inventive stagecraft, poetry and song, delving into historical and contemporary smuggling, deteriorating coastal communities, immigration and folklore.
Award-winning Isle of Wight company Deadman’s debut, fresh from sell-out tours, is now arriving on a national 2026 tour. Led by IOWers artistic director Samuel Bossman, playwright Liam Patrick Harrison’s full-length debut is a detailed and rich theatrical investigation into the men’s tragic downfall and coastal communities.
Friday 1 May
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Westborough,
Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 1JW
19:30 - 20:35 £15
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