Freak Out
18 March 2023
Vault Festival
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Freak Out focuses on the fictional town of Portsford, a small coastal community threatened by coastal erosion. When their application for a council funded seawall is rejected, and numerous residents are offered buy-outs for their properties in the red zone, but many of them band together in hopes of keeping their homes intact despite nature’s best efforts.
Based on research of communities in East Anglia affected by coastal erosion, this show is intense and fast paced. The characters are drawn up very well, creating real-life people who struggle to accept that the place they call home will not exist in just a few short years. Washed away into the sea.
They band together to create a fundraiser, but many have already given up and made plans for their own relocation. Feelings of betrayal spread the community as they grapple with the truth of the matter.
Freak Out is an emotional, but also funny and educational piece, tackling a topic not often spoken of in the public. The disappearing coastlines of England are a reality that many of us aren’t aware of, while others live in the reality of losing everything at a moment’s notice.
A beautiful play with immersive elements and a lot of heart.