Yawning Dog Productions Ltd
presents
Goldfish
A Fable from the Klondike Gold Rush, an original play by Nina Beck
A TALKING FISH, A DYING SON, AND THE ULTIMATE CON: SURREAL NEW PLAY GOLDFISH
Yawning Dog Productions Ltd is thrilled to announce the upcoming PREVIEW production of GOLDFISH, at the OCEAN THEATRE, Bournemouth on 16 October 2026, followed by the Bridewell Theatre, London, from 03-07 November 2026.
GOLDFISH is a gripping, new play written by Nina Beck, and directed by live-TV and music video veteran Guy McNair-Wilson.
Set in the unforgiving winter of 1899 at the tail-end of the Alaskan Klondike Gold Rush, GOLDFISH is a darkly comic, atmospheric fable that tackles startlingly modern themes of fake news, mass hysteria, gender identity, and the desperate lengths a parent will go to for a dying child.
The play follows the notorious, silver-tongued conman Jefferson “Soapy” Smith, played by acclaimed Irish comedian and actor Ben Keenan (Run Away, Contrition, EastEnders). Down on his luck and raising his frail son William alone, Soapy’s world is upended by the discovery of a salmon that he believes can speak.
When he brings in the fiercely clinical biologist Dr. Kathleen Mole, played by classical powerhouse Ingrid Werner (Rivals, Disney’s Disenchanted), the investigation quickly unravels into a psychological battleground of buried secrets, and the desperate search for redemption.
Rounding out the exceptional cast are Sam Newman (Nurenburg (2026), A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) as the tortured, gun-toting journalist Tappan Adney, and Gus Flind-Henry as his wide-eyed photographer, Carter.
GOLDFISH boasts an extraordinary, award-winning creative team:
- Movement Direction by Lauren Scott: A finalist in the 2023 BBC Young Dancer Award and associate of Sadler’s Wells’ Breakin’ Convention, Scott infuses the historical piece with a contemporary physical theatre vibe.
- Lighting & Creative Design by Rachel Fox: The former Creative Director at the Theatre Royal Winchester brings over 30 years of large-scale production experience to craft a dark, hazy, cinematic landscape.
- Original Music by Simon Slater: The Olivier and Ivor Novello-nominated composer (with over 400 stage and screen credits) provides a haunting, folk-infused score that anchors the play’s surreal shifts.
“We wanted to build something physical and filmic,” says Director Guy MW. “By focusing the staging around a single wooden table shifting slowly in and out of darkness, we capture the raw isolation of the gold rush while keeping a modern, youth-appealing energy.”
Following well-received development showings at the MAST Mayflower Theatre (Southampton) and the Chichester NEST Theatre, audience feedback has praised GOLDFISH as “deeply moving,” “visually stunning,” and “utterly unique.”
GOLDFISH is a story of survival, the stories we tell ourselves to cope with tragedy, and what it truly means to be a family.
CAST:
Starring Irish actor/comedian, Ben Keenan (Netflix’s Run Away, Eastenders), alongside Ingrid Werner (Rivals, Disney’s Disenchanted), Sam Newman (Nuremberg, Casualty), Gus Flind-Henry, Alastair Braidwood, Anthony Evans-Pughe and Sylvia Young Agency performers Dougie South, and Teddy Russell.
Tickets are available via online box office.
