The Freshwater Five at Traverse Theatre

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... in 2021 new evidence came to light that cast doubt on the original convictions.

A tale that has long divided our Isle of Wight community. This powerful new debut play and production seeks to present the case and its events on their merits and explore the state of our coastal communities.

Award-winning Isle of Wight company Deadman’s debut, fresh from sell-out tours to coastal communities tour and across the south east in 2023 and 2024 is now arriving on a national tour in 2026. IOWers artistic director Samuel Bossman and playwright Liam Patrick Harrison’s full-length debut is a detailed and rich theatrical investigation into the men’s tragic downfall and coastal communities.