The world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical begins its UK & Ireland tour at Theatre Royal Plymouth this week

30th August 2022

The world premiere production of FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL sets sail from Theatre Royal Plymouth this week (1–10 September 2022), before embarking on a UK and Ireland tour.

It follows a highly successful, sold-out season at Hall for Cornwall, where box office records were smashed, making it the biggest selling production in Hall for Cornwall’s 25-year history,

FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL is based on the true story of the Cornish singing sensations, Fisherman’s Friends, and the hit 2019 film about their life. 

When a group of Cornish fishermen came together to sing the traditional working songs they’d sung for generations, they hoped to raise a few quid for charity.  Nobody, least of all the fishermen, expected their story to end on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury.  Packed with sea shanties, FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS is a feelgood voyage about friendship, community and music.

Featuring hit shanties made famous by the band including Keep Haulin’, Nelson's Blood, No Hopers Jokers & Rogues and many more.

The production will also make its North American premiere, opening at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada on 27 November 2022 for a limited Christmas season, before returning to the UK in 2023.

James Gaddas (Casualty (BBC One), Bad Girls (ITV), Coronation Street (ITV), The Girls, Billy Elliot, Monty Python’s Spamalot, MAMMA MIA! (All West End) plays Jim, with Parisa Shahmir (The Snow Queen (The Rose Theatre), The Last Ship (Northern Stage, UK & Ireland Tour) and MAMMA MIA! (UK Tour) playing his daughter, Alwyn.

Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey (Channel 4), Casualty (BBC), Where the Heart Is (ITV) Twelve Angry Men (Garrick Theatre, UK & Ireland Tour) will play Jago with Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire (ITV), Emmerdale (ITV), A Fine Romance (ITV), Three Sisters, The Real Thing, Mr Love, The Maintenance Man, Dangerous Corner and Of Mice and Men (all West End) playing his wife, Maggie.

Anton Stephans (finalist in The X Factor ITV), Blues Brothers Meet Soul Sisters (Theatre Royal, Windsor), Porgy and Bess (UK Tour), Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express (UK Tour) Smokey Joe's Cafe (1st UK Tour/Broadway and US Tour) stars as Leadville.

They will be joined by Jason Langley as record promoter Danny, Dan Buckley as Rowan, Dakota Starr as Ben, Pete Gallagher as Wiggie, Hadrian Delacey as Archie, Fia Houston-Hamilton as Leah, Hazel Monaghan as Sally, John O’Mahony as Eddy, Louisa Beadel as Morwenna, Becky Hurst as Grace and James William-Pattison as Owen, with musicians Hazel Askew, Mel Biggs, and Alfie Gidley with the band being lead by Musical Director  James Findlay, and ensemble cast Hazel Simmons, Janet Mooney, Dominic Brewer and Martin Carroll.

FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL is directed by James Grieve and written by Amanda Whittington with choreography by Matt Cole, musical direction by James Findlay, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, musical supervision and arrangements by David White, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Johanna Town and casting by Jim Arnold. 

Find out more and book your tickets on Theatre Royal Plymouth.