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 continually professed their innocence.
The Freshwater Five is based upon their experiences and the campaign by APPEAL to challenge their sentences. At the same time, it paints a picture of a coastal community where declining fishing, mega container ships, drugs and immigration are all factors contributing to difficult lives and distrust.
This is the first national tour by Deadman, an award-winning arts company that is inspired by its home on the Isle of Wight.
Research for the play began in 2021 and it has previously been performed in southern coastal locations. This is clearly a production born out of commitment to the arts and social justice. It uses drama and factual reports, many lines coming directly from legal interviews, to bring events and issues to life. Playwright Liam Patrick Harrison presents a complex story in an accessible and engaging way. It is deftly directed and produced by Samuel Bossman who also plays the parts of Daniel Payne and John Beere.
The men are not presented as trustworthy. Over the course of the play, it becomes apparent that skipper Jamie Green has had previous brushes with the law. Green, played by Peter Lundie who grew up on the Isle of Wight, is presented as a complex character who describes himself as ‘caustic like acid.’ Risky fishing practices, illegal immigration and sewage dumping may all have contributed to police and locals believing the men were guilty.
It falls to solicitor Emily Bolton, played by Polly Tidsall, to question the convictions through the charity she established in 2011, APPEAL. Working with the men and shipping organisations, Emily unearths evidence that suggests their fishing boat, the Galway-Y-Mawr, never crossed behind the container ship believed to have dumped cocaine in the ocean.
The one-act play seemed longer than the seventy-five minutes it ran. Not because it did not hold the audience’s attention; rather because it did. There is a sense of tension throughout, emphasised by dramatic music and sharp scene changes. Sound effects, such as pinging ventilation, sonar beeps and chains, have an unsettling impact. There were light moments from well-written dialogue, but the underlying drama was never far from the surface.
All the men, with the exception of Zoran Dresic (played by Ioannus Vamvakitis), have now been released from prison, although some are still on licence. We hear less from Dresic than any other character. He was returned to Montenegro to serve his sentence, so not directly involved with the APPEAL process. A victim of people smuggling, it is unclear whether he did have any links to the drug trade, but he has paid a high price for his brief visit to England.
The men have tried to challenge their convictions via the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Court of Appeal, but without success. The Court of Appeal said there was insufficient evidence to quash the convictions. The men and their families continue their campaign to clear their names. This play will bring their fight to a wider audience whilst also highlighting issues facing coastal communities. The tour will include performances in Leeds and Scarborough.
28th April 2026 The Old Woollen, 83-85 Town St, Leeds, Farsley, Pudsey LS28 5UJ
Scarborough on 1st May.
Tickets
Tickets for all dates of the tour are available here.
Cast
Scott Birtwistle
William Hastings
Jamie Green
Peter Wager
Emily Bolton
Polly Tisdall
Zoran Dresic
Ioannis Vamvakitis
Daniel Payne/John Beere
Samuel Bossman
Creatives
Director/Producer Samuel Bossman
Playwright Liam Patrick Harrison
Graphic Designer Megan Siggers
Set Designer Paula Chitty
Lighting Designer Jack Hathaway
Marketing Coordinator Emma Donaghy
Associate Director Moses Gale
Associate Producer Laryssa Schoeck
Videographer Charlie Price
Age recommendation 13+
Photography by Joseph Lynn.
