Under the Whaleback

Synopsis

The cramped, swaying forecastle of a trawler, where the stench of fish and sweat mingles with the ever-present threat of the unforgiving sea

Darrel, a young deckhand on his first voyage, finds himself thrust into the brutal world of deep-sea fishing in the 1960s. As he navigates the complex relationships and unwritten codes of his fellow crew members, including the larger-than-life Cassidy and the volatile duo of Roc and Norman, Darrel must confront the harsh realities of life at sea and the legacy of those who came before him. The play then leaps forward in time, showing us how the echoes of one fateful voyage reverberate through the decades.

Richard Bean’s Under the Whaleback is a visceral, unflinching exploration of masculinity, heritage, and the price of survival in a dying industry. Spanning three generations of Hull fishermen, the play deftly weaves together moments of raw brutality with flashes of dark humor and unexpected tenderness. Bean’s structure, jumping between time periods, creates a haunting sense of how the past continues to shape the present. The claustrophobic setting of the ship becomes a pressure cooker for examining themes of class, identity, and the sometimes toxic bonds between men. As the traditional fishing industry faces extinction, the characters are forced to grapple with questions of purpose and belonging in a rapidly changing world.