Joe has writer’s block. He is searching for a hook for Arts Council funding, and the 200th anniversary of the RNLI is looking attractive. But there is no passion for his subject this time round, and, although the Penlee Lifeboat disaster may fit the bill, there are seemingly insurmountable difficulties in telling the story.
The tale is simple enough: the lifeboat—the Solomon Browne—and its crew of eight braved heavy seas and hurricane force winds to reach the Union Star, a stricken cargo ship being swept towards the Cornish rocks with five plus the captain’s pregnant wife and two teenage daughters aboard.
Observed by an attending Sea King helicopter, against the odds, the crew rescued four of the eight, but they then made another attempt to come alongside the stricken vessel—and the lifeboat was never seen intact again. There were no survivors.
The dilemma for the playwright (Darcy Vanhinsbergh) is whether 40 years is too soon. Should the story be told at all? What is the angle? Will the families be upset? How can it be written when no one really knows what did happened out there on that horrendous December night?
Reluctantly, Joe leaves his ICU nurse partner (Robyn Collins) and the comfort of his London flat to check out Mousehole, the Cornish village, and the echoes of real, everyday blokes who volunteered to risk their lives for strangers.
A propitious meeting on the train opens the portal to the experienced coxswain Trevelyan, hard-as-nails Barrie, the always-laughing Nigel and others whose banter and search for the ultimate egg and chips, 20 Bensons and a pint was brought to a sudden and tragic end. The young Craig (an engaging Paul Morel) served their drinks (as did writer Simon Parker) and is willing to share his memories as well as lively explanation of Cornish greetings and acerbic comments on second home ownership.
Parker melds the bravery of the lifeboat volunteers with that of the unsung NHS heroes, and cleverly tells the Penlee story while Joe vacillates and finds his passion.
Tom Parker’s soundscape is superb: the pub chat lingers while the raging seas and unforgiving gale swamps; Gabby Schooling has created a simple but multi-purpose set to accommodate the London flat, Cornish harbour, train and more with an unexplained cross lit up in the darkness above, while Nathan Benjamin’s lighting is apposite.
Fresh out of the box, some carefully brutal editing will undoubtedly bring this down from the current rather long two hours 20 including interval.
Excellent but sold out, so watch out for it next time round.