Review: Fisherman’s Friends UK Tour at Curve, Leicester

I watched the 2019 film Fisherman’s Friends as part of a lockdown movie night in 2020 when, at the height of the pandemic, we were all feeling understandably drawn to hopeful and comforting stories. I loved the message of friendship and community, and at the time it felt like a warm hug in film form.

This highly acclaimed film has since been adapted into a stage musical, which is currently on tour across the UK. Last week, it landed at Leicester’s Curve Theatre.

What’s it about?

Port Isaac, Cornwall, as been a fishing village for hundreds of years. When they’re not out at sea, a group of the village’s fishermen come together to sing the sea shanties that have been passed down through the generations, entertaining locals and visitors as well as raising money for charity.

But when struggling music manager Danny Anderson arrives in the village, he immediately spots the group’s potential. But can he convince the Friends to sign with him, and can be persuade London’s music establishment to sit up and take notice?

Any content warnings?

Fisherman’s Friends contains a small amount of bad language and some slightly risque jokes, but overall it’s pretty family-friendly with a positive message. Venues are recommending 7+ (or sometimes 8+) as an age guide.

Fisherman’s Friends: My review

Fisherman’s Friends is really two tales in one: the drawn-from-life unlikely success story of how a group of singing Cornish fishermen rose to fame (and Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage), and the fictional love story between one of the men’s daughters and the fish-out-of-water music executive who discovers them. What results is two and a half hours of utterly charming musical theatre.

Jason Langley and Jamas Gaddas with the company of Fisherman’s Friends. Photo: Pamela Raith

Many new musicals with strong scores are let down by weak books, but Amanda Whittington’s book is excellent, drawing heavily on the film and skillfully adapted for the stage.

Jason Langley plays Danny, at first utterly obnoxious and eventually surprisingly endearing as he adapts to his surroundings and learns some important lessons from the locals. Langley is thoroughly entertaining and, even if you roll your eyes at Danny when he first drunkenly swaggers into the Golden Lion pub, you’ll be rooting for him by the time he drags his new “bouy band” to London.

Parisa Shahmir, playing Alwyn, has a rich and soulful voice that - even when she’s simply standing on stage alone and singing - holds listeners spellbound. Her two solo numbers were absolute highlights, particularly when she accompanies herself on the guitar.

Parisa Shahmir as Alwyn. Photo: Pamela Raith

Shahmir’s dynamic with James Gaddas, playing Alwyn’s father Jim, offers a touchingly believable blend of fierce love and repressed shared pain. When they finally open up to each other in the second act, there was definitely a lump in my throat.

Parisa Shahmir and James Gaddas. Photo: Pamela Raith

Then, of course, there’s the gang of singing fisherman led by Jim. Gaddas is outstanding in this role, with understated emotion underpinning his gruff, no-nonsense demeanour. Other standout performances include Robert Duncan as the elderly Jago, Pete Gallagher as the irreverent Leadville, and Dan Buckley as the proud but financially struggling new dad Rowan. Each of the performers are strong singers individually but, when they raise their voices and harmonise together, something new and beautiful and greater than the sum of its parts emerges.

The Fisherman’s Friends. Photo: Pamela Raith

The music of Fisherman’s Friends is nothing like your traditional showtunes. Instead, you’ll find the actual shanties sung across generations and re-popularised by the Fisherman’s Friends, as well as variations on more contemporary songs such as The Waterboys’ “Fisherman’s Blues.” “Village By the Sea” was composed by Musical Director James Findlay for the show, and is a moving tribute to Port Isaac and other fishing villages like it. The overall result is a varied yet cohesive folk jukebox.

The show’s authentic charm is enhanced by having the band integrated with the action in the form of actor-musicians who play the roles of various villagers as well as playing their instruments. Lucy Osborne’s harbour-inspired set and Dan Samson’s subtle yet atmospheric soundscape bring the world of the Cornish village to vivid life.

Fisherman’s Friends, like the true-life story and the film that inspired it, is fun, feel-good, and big-hearted. Delightful.

Where to get tickets

Fisherman’s Friends is on tour around the UK until 20 May 2023, and tickets are available directly from the various venues.