Drawing from their research into UK communities affected by coastal erosion, Coin Toss Collective’s Freak Out! investigates the small town of ‘Portsford’, which is fighting a losing battle to the sea. Though the subject matter is urgent, some arguably questionable creative choices sabotage the poignancy of the message.
The subject matter deserves to be centre stage
The show focuses on the local community, kicking off with projections of real-life interviews with seaside dwellers on what the beach means to them. Each character then introduces themselves in the same format, revealing that they are all a member of the community (local councillor, business owner, founder of “friends of portsford”). They hold a fundraiser to raise money to support people whose homes are at risk (based on the real events which the show was inspired by) and conversations are had about the future of the town and the people in it. Coveting the town’s fossilised footprints and ancient history, the townsfolk convince themselves, “We can stop the sea if we have the will to do it”.
This narrative is interspersed with absurdist scenes that feel out of place. For instance: the scene freezes and a caricature emerges singing to himself and asks the audience to build a sandcastle, two people have a conversation about their experiences in the town whilst dunking their head under water and someone aggressively hands out cake to the audience whilst having an argument. In addition, there are moments of physical theatre and breath-work to serve as metaphors for the crumbling land. These ideas in themselves are interesting but feel inconsistent with the main thrust of the play. These elements require much more intention behind them which begs the question, why are they included in the show?
Coin Toss Collective should be commended for their bold creativity and for raising awareness of important local issues. The subject matter deserves to be centre stage, but unfortunately has not been communicated as effectively as it could, with symbolism that doesn’t quite land.
