When the Tide Comes In
Brighton Fringe Sunday 24 May 2026
Written by Naomi Denny
I am not a regular theatre reviewer, but I am extremely passionate about it, both as a viewer and as a creator. I have been to the Edinburgh Fringe more times than I can remember—definitely well into double figures—and I have taken original musicals there twice myself. In 2016, I saw a show there called Tomorrow, Maybe that was so good it had a profound effect on me, hugely influencing my own work. I've seen some brilliant shows since then, but none have had that same deep impact. That is, until now.
This year, I decided to try out the Brighton Fringe and checked out a few shows. There was one in particular, When the Tide Comes In, that I really wanted to see. Part of the draw was that The New Current called it "a game-changer in how Youth Theatre in the UK can be done" and gave it five stars. That is a bold claim.
I was scheduled to leave on Sunday but couldn't get tickets for the Saturday night showing, so I decided to delay my departure. This actually led to a nightmare journey trying to get home, but that's a story for another time.
As I said, I don't normally review, but I felt compelled to with this one. Ten years after Tomorrow, Maybe, I experienced that same profound emotional shift. This gripped me from start to finish, and I felt throughout that I was in the presence of greatness. The writing was incredible, and the performances of several actors were, for me, nothing short of extraordinary. That's not to say the rest of the cast was weak; I just want to highlight a few performances that deserve an extra acknowledgment. In no particular order: Piper Scrace as Frankie, Dora King as India, Ashleigh Dyer as Grace, Isaac Howard as Jay, Ima Lucas as Michaela, and Jasmine Jerrim-Crisp as George. Their charisma and characterisation were immense.
I won't discuss the plot too much, as I believe it has already been summarized elsewhere better than I could. I will simply say the story centers around a friendship group who have just finished their GCSEs. They are chilling together at the beach, contemplating their futures, when they experience a bereavement that affects them all differently.
I'm a strong believer in "different strokes for different folks," so this show may not be for everyone. But for me, it resonated so deeply that my reaction went far beyond just being emotionally moved. I have been emotionally moved plenty of times, but this was on another level.
When the show finished, I stood up to applaud. Admittedly, I didn't see any other audience members doing the same, and I couldn't understand why. I approached one of the production team, asked who wrote the piece, and she pointed me to the sound equipment corner where four women were standing. I walked over, asked which one was Naomi, and simply told her I thought she was a genius and that the show was incredible. It was a massive compliment, though in retrospect, I realize she might have thought I was a serial flatterer who hands out praise lightly. I have never done that before. True to form, she instantly pointed out the amazing performances of her cast.
I had almost skipped the show because delaying my departure past midday on Sunday was hugely inconvenient—I had even messaged Brighton Fringe staff to see if they could squeeze me into Saturday's performance. As I mentioned earlier, it resulted in a nightmare journey home. And yet, it was entirely worth it.
The thought that I might have missed such a special show merely for the sake of convenience does not sit well with me.
