REVIEW: Contemporary Ritual Theatre Presents SALT by Beau Hopkins at Riverside Studios 3-15 March 2026

“The striking theatrical form cannot compensate for a meandering narrative that settles into familiar patterns” ★★

SALT, currently playing the London leg of its UK tour at Riverside Studios, is an ambitious piece of stylised theatre set in a fishing village on the East Norfolk coast in 1770.

The story centres on Man Billy, a young fisherman living with his mother, Widow Pruttock. Their relationship is intense and strained, shaped by loneliness and their outsider status within the community. Into this uneasy world arrives Sheldis, a travelling singer whose presence captivates Man Billy. Seeing her as a means of escape, he falls under her spell. As his attachment deepens, tensions between mother and son escalate, driving the narrative toward a tragic conclusion.

The production is performed by three actors in the round, inside a simple circle of white rope that evokes both a fishing net and a ritual boundary. Props - naturalistic and period-appropriate - are carried on and off throughout the performance, reinforcing the sense of a working fishing community. Costumes are suitably authentic to the period and help anchor the stylised staging in a recognisable historical setting.

Director Beau Hopkins utilises a theatrical language of movement, song and heightened text. The piece blends poetic dialogue with sea shanties and folk songs, some traditional and some composed for the production. The cast are fully committed to this approach. Bess Roche, as Sheldis, is particularly compelling, with a haunting singing voice and strong stage presence. Mylo McDonald brings intensity to Man Billy, while Emily Outred offers a grounded portrayal of the embittered Widow Pruttock.

However, while the aesthetic ambitions of the piece are clear, the production struggles with pacing. The first half is dominated by extended passages of poetic verse and song that often stall rather than advance the narrative, making it difficult for the story to gain traction. The world of the play is bleak and unforgiving, and the relentless antagonism between characters risks alienating the audience rather than drawing them into the drama. The plot begins to develop more fully in the second half, yet the shift leans heavily toward melodrama. The story ultimately echoes familiar tragic frameworks - somewhere between Oedipus Rex and Medea - without offering a truly fresh perspective.

The script’s treatment of its female characters is also difficult to overlook. Derogatory and sexualised language toward women appears frequently throughout the text, and while such terminology may reflect the historical setting, its repetition begins to feel gratuitous. More significantly, the narrative consistently positions women as the cause of Man Billy’s downfall - his mother for repressing him, and Sheldis as the manipulative temptress who drives him toward violence. The play never meaningfully interrogates Man Billy’s own responsibility for his actions, leaning instead on a well-worn and somewhat tired trope.

SALT is undeniably an ambitious production. Hopkins’ direction makes inventive use of the space, incorporating movement and choreography in ways that keep the staging visually bold. Its fusion of ritual performance, folk music and poetic storytelling demonstrates a willingness to take creative risks. However, the execution ultimately falls short. The striking theatrical form cannot compensate for a meandering narrative that settles into familiar patterns, leaving SALT an intriguing idea that never fully develops.

Writer/Director – Beau Hopkins

Widow Pruttock – Emily Outred

Man Billy – Mylo McDonald

Sheldis – Bess Roche

Photo credit: Peter Morgan

Box Office: Salt | Riverside Studios