Eoin Ryan takes to the stage in a one-man autobiographical play about his harrowing ordeal on an Australian trawler. Trawled takes place from Ryan’s perspective as he wrestles with life aboard. Bobbing between Papua New Guinea and Australia with no docking, the company of three strangers, and too many beers, the show marks the descent of the mind at sea.  

On stage, Ryan is accompanied by the necessities of any fishing boat: somewhere to sort prawns, somewhere to sleep and somewhere to drink. Throughout, he passes seamlessly through each space, marked only by subtle lighting changes and simple doorframes, building the rest of each scene from his emotionally rich memories. 

Trawled constantly builds tension. Ryan’s storytelling is highly dramatic and theatrical but filled with raw, lived experience. This is certainly not a ‘how to’ guide on trawling: it’s a record of the systematic destruction of a man’s very being, from his body to his mind, taking in suicidal ideation, abuse and mental health issues. Here, what’s on board becomes much more dangerous than any hungry shark that circles the boat. 

Trawled: When Adventure Becomes Survival, The Garage International – Adelaide Town Hall, until Saturday 22 March, 6pm.