Review: Ascension, EdFringe

We start at the end; 18th Century Dutch sailor Leendert Hasenbosch (Dan Hazelwood, also writer), lives the last day of his life stranded on the uninhabited Ascension Island, isolated far from his home and family in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. What seems like a sad and lonely end soon gives way to a wonderful tapestry of life, as Hazelwood finds hope in history and crafts a narrative for the ages.

It’s a story that’s unafraid to jump around in space and time as we follow Hasenbosch from his early life in the Netherlands through to his massive voyages across the world to serve in the Dutch colonial service, ultimately finding love along the way in a fellow soldier (Conor Mainwaring). Therein lies the twist in this tale, as Hasenbosch was not marooned on Ascension by chance but by his fellow man, abandoned to die for the crime of ‘sodomoy’ or simple sexual difference from the standards of his time.

Hasenbosch’s non-conformist sexuality is one of the strongest facets of the play, but in a masterstroke Hazelwood keeps this perfectly in tandem with an engaging personal narrative that never loses its feeling of historical authenticity. There’s always a risk when reading contemporary themes into the past, that the story will become anachronistic or over-simplified, but everything here achieves a rare and wonderful balance that elevates both the heart of the story as well as the history behind it. In particular Hazelwood bravely identifies gaps where there are no firm historical records, such as the attitude of Hasenbosch’s family to his ‘deviance’, and rather than tar everything with the brush of a repressive past chooses to find the nuance and individuality that existed then as much as now.

Hazelwood’s script is sharp and intelligent, but equal praise has to be given to his acting as well as Mainwaring’s, who both give accomplished performances to bring a whole world to life on an almost empty stage. Special mention too for the eye-watering visuals from James Appleby, who achieves practically West End productions values alongside Bedlam Theatre’s top-spec lighting rig and wonderfully talented staff, and director Max Lindsay for connecting all the play’s elements together so elegantly. If there’s one thing to fault it would be a certain slideshow that comes late into the show, which while comical feels it belongs more in the lighter first half of the show than the darker second.

Besides this there’s little more to be said. What Hazelwood and team have brought to life should be seen by everyone, and is without a doubt one of the best shows of the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Written and Performed by Dan Hazelwood
Directed by Max Lindsay
Movement by Dan Hazelwood and Max Lindsay
Operated by Ciara Pidgeon
Sound Design by Gareth Swindail-Parry
Lighting Design by James Appleby
Dance Choreography by Kristine Berget

Ascension played as part of EdFringe and has completed its run.