THEATRE REVIEW: Fisherman's Friends - The Grand Theatre, Leeds.

‘Fisherman’s Friends’ is an adaptation of the story of a few local men with a heart for song who became music stars almost overnight. Based on the 2019 film of the same name, the plot revolves around music manager Danny’s chance visit to Port Isaac. He hears a group of local men, gathered on the Platt in the harbour, singing traditional sea shanties. These men are a collection of locals, with real jobs and a firm friendship – singing for the love of it and to raise money for charity. Like many of us, he finds himself moved by the raw, acoustic harmonies and their traditional renditions of hardship, love, and loss on the seas – and decides to launch their record career, using dubious strategies to get them seen when the big noises in London don’t seem interested. His efforts are met with a mixture of resilience, distrust, and derision. The villagers have low opinions of Londoners – a chance for the storyline to highlight the plight of many picturesque, traditional communities who find their native families struggling to keep a foothold when the middle classes roll in and buy up properties as second homes. One of the most virulent detractors is Alwyn (Parisa Shahmir), daughter of the ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ unofficial leader, Jim (James Gaddas). She rails hard against Danny’s presence in the village at all, ever loyal to Port Isaac and a way of life that is fast eroding. It is, perhaps, predictable that this relationship gives us the 'will they/won’t they' romantic strain to the production.

The star of this show, is undoubtedly, the ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ as a unit. Their voices ring in glorious harmony as their songs tell us their collective story – the history of Cornwall and of seamen the world over - infinitely bigger than the sum of its parts. The six-piece band appear on stage - some of them taking small roles in the ensemble. Likewise, some cast members take up an instrument here and there - the selection of traditional instruments adding authenticity and atmosphere. There is, literally, an ocean of music (over 30 songs) - the vast majority being traditional shanties arranged by the ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ themselves. The supplementary numbers are used well to tell more of the specific story of the individual characters – particularly the women and, of course, our city-boy, Danny. They blend so well that this audience member could not have known which were old and new without support from the programme notes!

This is a musical about musicians – it goes without saying that the voices are stunning. Shahmir has the archetypal folk songstress lilt and her solos cut the perfect contrast to the broad sweep of the orthorhombic accuracy of the ‘Friends’ harmonies. Another standout solo moment came when Sally (Hazel Monaghan) poured the worries and loneliness of a fisherman’s wife onto the stage in a haunting melody. More human story comes from Jago (Robert Duncan) and Maggie (Susan Penhaligon) who portray the most senior members of this community. Jago is well into retiring age and dad to Jim (which was difficult to believe given Duncan’s boyish face and sprightly physicality) and when Jim’s temper flares, the ‘Friends’ look to him to smooth the waters. Duncan and Penhaligon are well-known faces with long careers in the industry and added a certain gravitas to the ensemble.

As we rattle along the musical numbers (South Australia, Drunken Sailor, John Kanaka, Haul Away….) there’s just enough dialogue to keep the story going and just enough character development to draw the audience into the sub-plots. The whole piece is staged in the harbour, with the harbour wall and its ladders, railings, crates, and lobster pots adding a gallery for variety and giving the interior scenes at the pub a defined area too. From the storage doors in the harbour wall is pulled a boat – a brilliant example of simple, effective stagecraft - no hydraulics or razzle-dazzle here. The boat tosses in the sea according to the casts’ own strength and choreography – brilliant! Port Isaac may be picturesque to the visitors but here, on Lucy Osborne’s set, we are located in the nitty-gritty heart of the locals’ lives. Well supported with lighting and haze, the set does just what’s needed – even providing a stage for a bar where the Friends sample some of the delights of London life!

With comedic and tragic twists and turns, we arrived at the triumphant point we all knew was coming and the audience took to its feet for a rousing finale. This story, as a film and a stage musical, shares a stall with the likes of Brassed Off, Full Monty, Calendar Girls, Pride, Billy Elliot - charting the modern history of workaday Britain and telling of the places and institutions in danger of being diluted or drowned, as the modern world changes around them. Like these other tales, it’s an edited and rewritten version of real-life, with the ending selected at just the right moment of triumph – but that doesn’t negate its worth.

'Fisherman’s Friends' is an aural feast of harmonies, rooted in the depths of tradition and community. You don’t have to love folk music to enjoy it – if you experienced Nathan Evans’ ‘Wellerman’ when it went viral, and were tempted to google other shanties, give this show a try! It’s off to Canada when it’s finished here in Leeds but back in the new year for more UK tour dates.

Reviewer - Justine Sutcliffe
on - 9.11.22