The venue for Eric’s Tales of the Sea seems to be down in the bowls of the earth. You find yourself climbing down stairs and negotiating long, dark passageways until you start to hear the metallic “ping” of a submarine. Terribly apt when you finally come through the door into an almost black, vaulted, room, lit at the back by only a red light. You shuffle through the dark vault to the chairs near the stage in order to “fill up from the front”, as ordered by the venue staff – if only you could even SEE the front! With the sounds of the submarine, the dim lighting and being down in the depths of the earth, you feel like you may actually be on one.
Eric is a master storyteller. With the use of a projector screen, he weaves the emotional and hilarious story of the deep friendship forged between two men, himself and his “soulmate”, Dick, from basic training in the Royal Navy submarine Corps, which goes on to last a lifetime. The audience is drawn into the difficult underwater world of the submariner, punctuated by side-splitting accounts of pranks and incidents during his time on board, as well as adventures so tense, you almost forget to breathe.
You can only wonder at this life, so very different from your own, and one which you may not even have contemplated until this point. A life lived for weeks underwater, in cramped conditions with only your fellow sailors for company and no fresh food or water is amazing to consider. From close shaves with sharks, to touching moments of life shaping events, all told with the use of pictures and diagrams, Eric’s Tales of the Sea is an incredible story. The show is not only factually interesting, but is an emotional and humorous account of friendship, camaraderie and bravery. A must see!
5/5 
Sandi Hunter
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