Five reasons why Reykjavik is the must-see new play this autumn

We asked Hampstead Theatre to give us five reasons to be excited about this gripping new drama on their main stage…

| London |

11 October 2024

Richard Bean’s Reykjavik is sailing into the Hampstead Theatre this month, promising a fascinating deep-dive into a unique and distinct calamity involving a group of fishermen. The venue has given us five reasons why this one will have you hooked.

1. It’s written by ‘the funniest playwright on the block’ (The Telegraph) – Richard Bean

It’s always a theatrical occasion when the mastermind behind international smash hit One Man, Two Guvnors premieres a new play, and Reykjavik is no exception. Here’s a playwright who knows how to make sure his audiences leave the auditorium well-nourished after a theatrical feast.

Reykjavik in rehearsals, Photo by Mark Douet

2. It follows Richard Bean’s hugely successful sold out run at Hampstead last year with To Have and To Hold

The Hampstead Theatre has a long history of debuting fantastic new writing from the best in the business – even Harold Pinter has opened his plays at the venue! It’s fantastic to see Bean back to repeat a trick after his brilliant work on To Have and To Hold.

3. It’s Richard’s second play about Hull’s Distant Water trawling fleet – his first being the 2003 hit Under the Whaleback

But you don’t need to have seen that play to sail into this one. At the same time, it’ll be fascinating, over 20 years later, to revisit the same subject – especially in a time when trawling has become a red-hot topic over the last decade or so.

Reykjavik at Hampstead Theatre rehearsal photos. Photo by Mark Douet I80A5971 — Reykjavik in rehearsals, Photo by Mark Douet

4. It’s an engrossing drama that follows a hated trawler-owner who travels to Reykjavik to visit the surviving members of a shipwreck

Already a meaty subject for any play, the 1975 saga is sure to feel pertinent in the present day. The cast is also filled with some of the most exciting in the business, including Poldark‘s John Hollingworth and Stage Debut Award-winner Adam Hugill.

5. It’s directed by Emily Burns, making her directorial debut at Hampstead

Emily Burns is quickly becoming one of the UK’s most exciting directors, with productions including the five-star Love’s Lavour’s Lost at the RSC and Dear Octopus at the National Theatre. She now reunites with Bean after the pair were part of the team behind the fantastic Jack Absolute Flies Again at the National Theatre. Given how fantastic that show was, we’ve got high hopes for this one.