INTERVIEW: Sing a sea shanty with these ‘Fisherman’s Friends’
Photo: Fisherman’s Friends is a new movie that tells the true story of a group of sea-shanty singers from Cornwall, England. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films / Provided by press page with permission.
A few years ago, when a London music executive headed to a remote Cornish village for a stag-do party, he didn’t think he would walk away from the weekend with anything but a hangover and maybe a few laughs. But after he’s challenged by his mates to sign a group of sea-shanty singers, he realizes his professional life is about to change — forever.
This is the premise for the new movie Fisherman’s Friends, which is actually (and amazingly) based on a true story involving a group of fishermen in Cornwall, England. The film, directed by Chris Foggin, is now available on digital and on demand. The cast includes Daniel Mays, James Purefoy, David Hayman and Dave Johns, among many other talented performers.
“It was a wonderful story,” Hayman said in a recent phone interview about his motivation for joining the project. “It’s a feel-good movie with lots of lovely, endearing characters … a group of people who have a good ethos on life. I thought the script had a lot of humanity in it, and there was humor in it. And it was touching, and they were putting together a really terrific cast.”
This is actually Hayman’s fourth time working with co-screenwriters Meg Leonard and Nick Moorcroft, so he knew the experience was going to be a lot of fun. He quickly signed on the dotted line in order to, as he put it, “exist” in this other world for a few months.
As far as the true story behind this dramatized tale, Hayman had heard of the sea-shanty group. He knew they had broken into the top 10, and they even played his home city at one point.
“I do love the music,” he admitted. “I quite often listen and sing along to the sea shanties. Don’t tell my wife, for God’s sake, but yes I do. I have been known at 2 o’clock in the morning [to be] up singing sea shanties. I love the music. It’s another world, isn’t it. Probably most of the songs are non-PC these days, good Lord. They are stirring anthems. They are work songs. They came from working men.”
The Fisherman’s Friends, the actual band from Port Isaac, England, have taken the world by storm (pun intended), playing numerous concerts and releasing several albums. Fans can catch their tunes on such releases as One and All, Proper Job, Sole Mates and, of course, the soundtrack for Fisherman’s Friends. They were the first traditional folk act to land a UK top 10 album, according to their official biography, and Hayman plays Jago, a member of the group.
Bringing this story to life — the man at the helm, as it were — is Foggin, a director known for Kids in Love, the upcoming The Radleys and the TV show Cold Feet.
“Chris is an absolute sweetheart,” Hayman said. “He’s an utterly charming young man, and I could never imagine him screaming and shouting at anyone. He was a joy to work with. He was all-embracing. There was a lovely atmosphere on set with him. He was just a lovely young man. I have nothing but praise for him. He has a lovely, gentle approach to everything. He’s just a nice, civil human being — a lovely human being to have at the helm.”
Hayman loves acting on film and on TV sets, and he’s done quite a bit of it over the years, including roles in The Nest, Bang, Hatton Garden and Taboo. But his preference will always be acting on the stage.
“I’d much rather be on stage,” he said. “The challenges are greater because you have to perform for weeks or months, and you have to sustain it on stage every night for two to three hours, six nights a week. That’s a completely different challenge in front of a live breathing audience who in effect color a performance. … My performance will be slightly different every night because of the personality of the audience that I’m playing to, so that’s what makes theater so challenging and exciting.”
Much of Hayman’s work — on film, on TV and on stage — has been disrupted this year because of COVID-19. Still, he has seen the silver lining and enjoyed some quality time with family. “Because I’m away so much,” he said, “it has been an absolute delight for me to be at home with my wife and my youngest son who has been quarantined with us. … I have been doing gardening. I’ve been doing painting. I’ve been doing things I have never done in my life before, so I have really enjoyed a lot of it.”
He’s even been singing some sea shanties.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Fisherman’s Friends, featuring David Hayman, is now available on digital and on demand. Click here for more information.
