Half A Cod A Day

Researched and set in Hastings by playwright Brian Abbott, Half A Cod A Day draws attention to the issue of sustainable fishing, how government and global policies affect the small fishermen as well as the larger trawlers, and the legal entanglements that can twist, confuse an restrain more than any fishing net. Told as part allegory, incorporating specially written shanties, a barrage of facts as well as a human interest story, this educated and engaged, at times hitting choppy waters as realism met symbolism, but for the most part left all with a heightened interest and awareness of some of the issues. An especial bonus was the speaker at the end of the performance (a different one each night), who works within the industry and took a Q&A, drawing the evening to a close by earthing all that we had learned in a very immediate and local manner. Well done.

The Old Courtroom, 9 May 2014

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