Romeo and Hamed brings a Croydon-set queer tragedy to Riverside Studios
Romeo and Hamed, a debut play in verse by Scott Horgan, plays Riverside Studios from 2 to 6 September, with every performance creatively captioned.
Sinew Productions and Slime and Pies present Romeo and Hamed at Riverside Studios from Wednesday 2 to Sunday 6 September 2026. Written by Scott Horgan and directed by Maddy Corner, the play reworks the star-crossed lovers story for contemporary south London: Romeo lives under the concrete glare of Croydon until Hamed cuts through it, and what follows tests faith, family loyalty and the courage to love openly.
Told in lyrical verse across 140 minutes including an interval, the piece takes on identity, religion and belonging. It was "Highly Commended" by the National Theatre Script Department, and began life as a 30-minute work-in-progress in December 2024; Scott Horgan and Maddy Corner have since developed it into this full-length version for a cast of seven.
Accessibility sits at the centre of the production rather than at its edges. Every performance is creatively captioned, and the show has been developed in consultation with LGBTQIA+ Muslim voices, community organisations and cultural consultants, including a Queer Muslim focus group convened with Hidayah and led by Mina Moniri.
The creative team includes Hugo Dodsworth on lighting, set and caption design, Bilal Sha Jihan as assistant director and creative consultant, Pouya Ehsaei on sound, Theophilus O. Bailey as movement director, Raniah Al-Sayed as intimacy coordinator and Janis Price as vocal coach, with Eleanor Roberts producing and Mina Moniri as consultant producer. Casting is by Hannah Ashby Ward for LANE Casting.
Sinew Productions is a newly established black box theatre company, which launched with a showcase of 25 creatives at The Golden Goose in 2024. Slime and Pies, currently Associate Artists at the Pleasance Theatre, has built a reputation since 2022 for politically engaged new writing and for its work in creative captioning, with credits at venues including the Traverse in Edinburgh, Pleasance Islington and the Blue Elephant.
Performances are at 7pm on 2, 3, 4 and 5 September, with 2pm matinees on 3, 5 and 6 September. Tickets are £20, or £18 for concessions, and the age guidance is 15+.