Review: IN MY LUNGS THE OCEAN SWELLS, VAULT Festival

Julie (Jenny Walser) and Simon (Jack Brownridge-Kelly) grew up in a small fishing village at the end of the world, in Cornwall. While Simon is willing to dedicate his life to the ocean like all the men in his family have for generations, Julie is restless and wants more. In My Lungs the Ocean Swells is the delicate tale of love, friendship, and the slow decline of fishing villages.

Natasha Kaeda writes a soft and touching play with a bittersweet vein running through it. As the two childhood sweethearts set off on strikingly different paths, their connection to the waters isn't enough to tie them down. Directed by Tash Hyman, the piece sees them struggling with tradition and a future that demands to be taken into account.

The changing British Fishing Industry becomes an invisible presence that keeps them apart when it once united them. As Simon's nets continue to come up with fewer fish, Julie builds a new and exciting life in London that's not entirely understood by the people in the village. As she finds her own home in uncharted territory, he is left to deal with the harrowing effects of dwindling resources.

Brownridge-Kelly and Walser's chemistry is palpable as they examine identity and a divergent sense of belonging. As their worlds start to separate, Kaeda gives them a fresh vocabulary while Hyman draws them together less and less. Something between a coming-of-age story and a seafaring tragedy, In My Lungs the Ocean Swells is a quiet show that creeps up on its audience just like the tide.

In My Lungs the Ocean Swells runs at VAULT Festival until 9 February.

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