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Fisherman's Friends
(Review complete)
For more than 25 years Fisherman’s Friends have met on the Platt (small piece of ground) in their native Port Isaac to raise money for charity, singing the traditional songs of the sea handed down to them by their forefathers. However they were spotted and after some hard pushing by a record plugger, they signed a major record deal in 2010, and since then they have been the subject of two feature films, an ITV documentary and they have performed widely both home and abroad.
This show is their story on stage. It is real, current, and very humbling. As I sit with my fellow audience members sfx of seagulls, fill our ears, transporting us to the quayside at Port Isaac.
When the curtain rises the opening sequence behind the gauze effectively conveys the image of fishermen, their community, and of course their rendition of sea shanties. I am going to enjoy this.
The set and raised platform is cluttered with fishing nets, lobster pots, crates and musical instruments which are being constantly manoeuvred with such skill by the cast members to represent a pub, a quayside and at one point a disco! The set manoeuvres are extremely effective throughout the show, never once detracting from the songs or drama.
Musically it is outstanding! I really enjoyed the harmonies, the cast singing was moving, uplifting, and engaging with every the shanty.
There was so many stand out moments but the image of the whole audience on their feet at the end. Many of the songs sung will stay in our memory for a very long time.
It seems to be more common now that the musicians are totally integrated into the action, facilitating seamless scene transitions. Adding to the more touching moments, and rousing both the cast and audience with a Cornish jig or two!
The cast of actors and musicians is extremely strong both vocally and dramatically and it is hard to single anyone out – but. Alwyn(Parisa Shamir) was a standout performer; her voice is sublime throughout and her rendition of Sloop John B with Danny (Jason Langley) was subtle and haunting.
For me what makes this show so special is that this show is about real people, performed with skill, compassion and empathy by a ‘community’ rather than a ‘company’ transporting the audience to the quayside at Port Isaac for almost 3 hours.
I would give this show 4 stars out of 5. Worth a visit if it is near your home town.
4 stars out of 5
Reviewer Mark Bilsby