Heartsink Tickets

No longer booking

Venue Riverside Studios, London
Performance dates Booking to 10 May 2026
Running time 1 hour 15 minutes (no interval)

Heartsink Tickets London – Riverside Studios

A doctor used to saving lives suddenly finds himself on the other side of the hospital bed in Heartsink, a sharp and deeply human new comedy premiering at Riverside Studios in London.

Written by former GP Farine Clarke and directed by Sean Turner (The Play That Goes Wrong), the play blends wit, compassion and lived experience in a moving story about illness, identity and empathy in modern medicine.

The production stars Kathy Kiera Clarke — best known as Aunt Sarah in Derry Girls — as Cara, an Irish patient whose apparent hypochondria hides a devastating truth.

What is Heartsink about?

For GP Jeffrey Longford, a cancer diagnosis shatters the professional certainty he once had in medicine.

Suddenly crossing the divide from confident doctor to frightened patient, Jeffrey is forced to confront the healthcare system from the other side — questioning everything from the way patients are labelled by their conditions to the difficult ethical debates surrounding assisted dying.

Along the way, he encounters an unforgettable group of characters:

Cara, an Irish patient whose constant worries conceal a deeper reality
Suzie, a sharp-tongued hospital receptionist with an unexpected philosophical streak
Dr Roofi, a colleague grappling with loyalty, responsibility and conscience

Written with warmth, humour and authenticity, Heartsink turns challenging subject matter into a compassionate and often very funny theatrical experience.

Heartsink London tickets

Heartsink ran at Riverside Studios in London from 21 April to 10 May 2026.

More about the show

Jeffrey Longford has spent his life treating patients, making diagnoses and trying to keep control of the chaos of the hospital ward. But when he receives life-changing news, he is forced into an entirely different role — that of patient.

As Jeffrey’s confidence is shaken, he begins to see the medical world from a new perspective, encountering people whose lives and experiences challenge everything he thought he understood.

Balancing sharp humour with emotional honesty, Heartsink explores what happens when a doctor must confront illness from the other side of the stethoscope.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Evenings
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
Matinees
- Wednesday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Group Bookings For groups of 10+ enquire here

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Heartsink?

Starring:

Kathy Kiera Clarke (Derry Girls) as Cara
Aden Gillet (The House of Elliott) as Dr Jeffrey Longford
Vikash Bhai (Limbo) as Dr Roofi
Megan Marszal (Helloween) as Suzie

Who are the creative team of Heartsink?

Playwright: Farine Clarke
Director: Sean Turner
Set Design: Matteo Mastrandrea
Lighting Design: Chuma Lighting Design
Sound Design: Hattie North
Designer: Tom Mann

Venue Information

Riverside Studios , 101 Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9BN

Nearest Tube or Train: Hammersmith Broadway

Nearest Buses: 9, 9a,10, 11, 27, 33, 72, 91, 220, 283 and 295

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Heartsink is playing at the Riverside Studios in London

The running time of Heartsink is 1 hour 15 minutes (no interval)

Yes, Heartsink has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Heartsink follows a doctor whose cancer diagnosis forces him to confront illness, identity and the healthcare system from the patient’s side.

The production stars Kathy Kiera Clarke, known for her role in Derry Girls.

Heartsink was written by Farine Clarke, a former GP.

No, sorry, Heartsink has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.