Holy Mackerel! The Death of the Son and the Power of the Fish - Part of ArtsLab: Overflow

Five generations before Connor Maclachlan was born, his family made a pact with the Sea: Maclachlan sons would always be blessed with bountiful catches—but no daughter could eat the fish, or fall deathly ill. By Jasmine Jenkins Mentored by Jules Orculo On his sixteenth birthday, Connor's blessing vanishes. He can't catch a single fish, and after eating the day's haul, he's struck with violent food poisoning. Cast out for failing his duties as a Maclachlan son, Connor runs away. Forty years after his wife's death, Leslie spends his days spearfishing off a quiet South Coast beach. He's haunted by an angel who wears her face and seems determined to drag him toward the afterlife. When Les' wetsuit is snagged on a jetty hook, he becomes Connor's first catch since losing the Sea's blessing. An unlikely friendship forms, built on shared stories, salt water, and second chances. Holy Mackerel! is a new play about transness, family, grief, and belonging.