The "Freshwater Five" case refers to the conviction of five Isle of Wight fishermen sentenced in 2011 to a total of 104 years in prison for conspiracy to import £53 million worth of cocaine. The men, Jamie Green, Jon Beere, Daniel Payne, Scott Birtwistle and Zoran Dresic all claim they were on a routine fishing trip but over a decade later they continue an ongoing fight for justice.
In their debut play, the Deadman theatre company pose the central question in the controversial case: 'Were they innocent lobster fishermen or international drug smugglers?'
The minimalist stage set is effective, dominated by a giant anchor surrounded by barrels, bouys, lobster pots and lines of rope as the sound of a sea shanty creates a rhythmic beat. A TV news report of the Freshwater Five conviction in court is screened in a pub, which sparks a debate amongst the locals sipping a pint, but they are suddenly interrupted by a pompous Squire, who is more concerned about his car. All rather confusing.
The narrative then sets sail with the arrival of the skipper, Jamie Green, ‘spirit of the sea.’ He identifies with ‘The Ancient Mariner’, - Instead of the cross, the Albatross, about my neck was hung, - and believes that employing Zoran Dresic, an illegal migrant, has cursed his fishing boat, Galwad-Y-Mor.
The focal point turns to the solicitor Emily Bolton as she pieces together new evidence, weather and shipping radar data for the Appeal. She interviews the men, each physically worn down by the ordeal of imprisonment: John Beere asks her, "What is it in here that feels so off? - There’s no salt in the air.” He misses his life out at sea.
In flashback, they return to the fateful night of their alleged drug smuggling. With the crashing sound of waves and flashing spotlights, skipper and crew struggle to stand on deck, rocking side to side in the eye of a severe storm. At last, after a pedantically slow start, this is a rare moment of gripping drama.
With multiple role-playing, the complex structure of Harrison’s script attempts to layer too many theatrical languages at once: documentary realism, verbatim testimony, synchronised movement alongside literary allusion to Coleridge and Tennyson. Rather than deepening the narrative, these devices often obscure and diffuse it. Important factual details are sketched only briefly before moving into another symbolic sequence.
Thematically, the play delves across a wider political canvas: coastal deprivation, economic fragility, immigration and the invisibility of fishing communities. Valid and important concerns but they remain more implied than fully integrated.
With a deconstructed timeline, 2011 - 2021, the fishermen appear almost as faceless characters with little opportunity to express any personal identity and connection to fully engage with their plight. The crucial line of enquiry for the Appeal case, ‘were these men victims of a miscarriage of justice or participants in organised crime?’ never reaches the sustained tension it requires.
This is in stark contrast to the exemplary TV drama series, ‘Mr Bates vs. the Post office’ which highlighted each individual case with extraordinary perception and heartfelt empathy.
There is also a persistent issue with pacing. Direction lacks urgency with a dull recitation of dates and facts, TV news clips, telephone calls, poetic monologues and stylised choreographic interludes which become episodic and repetitive.
The Freshwater Five certainly contains the raw ingredients of gripping political theatre, and the company convey sincerity and commitment to investigate this prolonged legal battle.
In attempting to untangle the net of truth, myth and injustice, the production becomes ensnared in the same uncertain currents it seeks to navigate, as competing narratives struggle to steer a single dramatic course. Ultimately, the incoherent staging and confusing characterisation fails to reel the audience into the reality of the fishermen’s emotional anguish in their fight to prove their innocence.
Showtimes:
15 -16 May, 2026, 7.30pm + 2.30pm Saturday only.
On Tour:
27 - 28 May, 2026. Mareel, Lerwick, Shetland.
Ticket prices, £5.50 - £17 (tbc)
Age 13+
https://www.hellodeadman.com/the-freshwater-five