No longer booking
  • Venue Hampstead Theatre, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 23 November 2024
  • Running time 2 hours and 30 minutes including interval
  • Age guidelines 14+

Get tickets to Reykjavik in London 

Award-winning playwright Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) revisits Hull’s Distant Water trawling fleet in major new drama Reykjavik at Hampstead Theatre in London.

Set in February 1975 in the ice-cold waters off the coast of Iceland, the sidewinder ship the Graham Greene ices up, heels over, and sinks in seconds, taking fifteen of her crew with her.

John Hollingworth (Poldark, Napoleon) stars as Donald Claxton, a notorious trawler owner, who on a whim flies to Reykjavik to see the survivors. What begins as an impulsive trip turns into a night of drinking, horseplay, romance, and storytelling – an evening that will forever alter the lives of everyone involved.

Reykjavik is written by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors; Jack Absolute Flies Again), and directed by Emily Burns (Love’s Labour’s Lost, Jack Absolute Flies Again).

Reykjavik is playing at Hampstead Theatre from 18 October to 23 November 2024.

‘For Those in Peril on the Sea’ makes dying at sea sound like something noble, patriotic. Whereas their husband, son or father has died for one half of a fish and chip supper…‘

February 1975. In freezing weather off the coast of Iceland, the sidewinder Graham Greene ices up, heels over, and sinks in seconds, taking fifteen of her crew with her. Such are the realities of the brutal world of trawler fishing. On impulse, despised trawler-owner Donald Claxton flies to Reykjavik to see the survivors, setting in train an evening of drinking, horseplay, romance and story-telling that will change all their lives forever.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Reykjavik?

The cast features John Hollingworth, Sophie Cox, Matthew Durkan, Laura Elsworthy, Paul Hickey, Adam Hugill and Matt Sutton.

Who are the creative team of Reykjavik?

Writer Richard Bean, Director Emily Burns, Designer Anna Reid, Lighting Designer Oliver Fenwick, Sound Designer Christopher Shutt, Production Manager Skip, Composer Grant Olding, Dialect Mary Howland, Fight MC Combat (Maisie Carter), Costume Supervisor Evelien Van Camp, Casting Director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Company Stage Manager David Purdie-Smith, Deputy Stage Manager Caitlin Shay, Assistant Stage Manager Alice Loizel.

Important Notes

Content warnings: Contains very strong language, explicit descriptions of death and industrial tragedy

Access performances: Audio Described 16 Nov 14:30; Captioned performance 19 Nov 19:30

Venue Information

Hampstead Theatre , Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London, NW3 3EU

Nearest Tube or Train: Swiss Cottage (Jubilee Line)

Nearest Buses: C11, 13, 31, 46, 82, 113, 187, 268

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Reykjavik

★★★★ "Spooky, gritty and gripping" - Evening Standard

★★★★ "Richard Bean’s... best play in years" - TimeOut

★★★★ "A rare treat" - Telegraph

★★★★ "Richard Bean’s cracking new drama" - Financial Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik is playing at the Hampstead Theatre in London
The running time of Reykjavik is 2 hours and 30 minutes including interval
The age recommendations for Reykjavik are: 14+
Yes, Reykjavik has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, Reykjavik has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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