Deadman, an award-winning production company, will be taking the full production of The Freshwater Five on a UK South Coast (and London) Tour, following a successful Arts Council England-funded research and development project on the Isle of Wight.
Inspired by podcast
The production was inspired by a popular Guardian podcast and tells the story of five fishermen from the Isle of Wight who were sentenced to a total of 104 years for conspiracy to import £53m worth of cocaine, despite professing their innocence.
Local connections
After Island-born creative duo Samuel Bossman and playwright Liam Patrick Harrison discovered that one of the biggest drug busts in British history was alleged to have taken place right next to the beach where they learnt to swim, they set out on a research and development programme for the production.
This included speaking with legal champion Emily Bolton, family members of the accused, and a dissenting juror from the original trial.
Local creative talent
The final production will feature new local creative talent and delve into themes of contemporary and historic smuggling, maritime mythology, the British justice system, and the decline of coastal communities.
Support for the project
The Freshwater Five is a regional project made possible through funding from Arts Council England, The Mike Howley Trust, and Farnham Maltings Working Class Artists Fund.
It’s also supported by local cultural partners including Quay Arts, The Island Collection and The Isle of Wight Creative Network.
Find out more about the Freshwater Five case by visiting News OnTheWight’s Freshwater Five archive.
Image: © Charlie Price
