Deadman, the Isle of Wight theatre company, will tour The Freshwater Five across the UK from 20 January to 28 May 2026. This powerful new play revisits one of the most controversial criminal cases in recent British history, asking a devastating question: were five ordinary fishermen innocent men or international drug smugglers?
In 2011, five fishermen from the Isle of Wight — Jamie Green, Jon Beere, Zoran Dresic, Daniel Payne and Scott Birtwistle — were sentenced to a combined total of 104 years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to import £53 million worth of cocaine. They have consistently professed their innocence, and though their last appeal was rejected, the fight for justice continues.
Written by Liam Patrick Harrison and directed by Samuel Bossman, The Freshwater Five blends verbatim testimony, inventive stagecraft, poetry and song to tell a deeply human story. The production explores themes of immigration, economic precarity, and the impact of drugs on coastal communities, while highlighting contradictions in the case: no forensic evidence linking the men to the cocaine, no trace of drugs on their boat, and no unexplained gains from a Proceeds of Crime investigation.
Fresh from sold-out performances in coastal communities, this expanded production will now tour nationally, visiting venues including Quay Arts (Isle of Wight), Theatre Severn (Shrewsbury), The Maltings (Ely), AMATA Arts Centre (Penryn), Old Woollen Mill (Leeds), Blakehay Theatre (Weston-super-Mare), Theatre Royal Wakefield, Queens Hall (Hexham), Shakespeare North (Prescot), Stephen Joseph Theatre (Scarborough), Alnwick Playhouse, Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), and Mareel (Shetland).
More information can be found here
