THE STORY: The year is 1965. Aboard the Kingston Jet docked in Hull, England, a new teenage sailor Daz receives shocking information about his lineage from a legendary deckhand. Flash forward to 1972. A violent storm off the Icelandic coast thrashes the James Joyce and its crew of merchant fishermen, including Daz, with fatal consequences. Flash forward again to 2002. Daz is now 54, a father, and the curator of the Arctic Kestrel museum ship. A mysterious stranger unexpectedly enters after hours, making furious accusations and playing a dangerous game.
“[Reminiscent] strongly of O’Neill’s magnificent early sea plays…If one function of theatre is to take you into other worlds, Bean’s play succeeds in conveying the hermetic heroism of a dying trade.” —The Guardian (UK).
“[A] well-researched account of the coarse and perilous lives of English fishermen on the North Sea during the period of the industry’s decline…frank realism that is difficult to watch, and crude humor that is as much sad as funny.” —Stage Magazine.
“[A] gripping look at a quaint foreign culture, full of foreboding and culminating in painful violence—much like McDonagh…Heritage and legacy are the marrow of this play—not only the history of the fishing culture and its decay, but also the impact of individuals on later generations.” —Broad Street Review.
“…an enigmatically-titled play of exhilarating power.” —Variety.
