Contemporary Ritual Theatre Bring SALT To Riverside Studios
SALT concludes its UK tour with a final show at Riverside Studios
By: Stephi Wild Jan. 20, 2026
Pioneering Great Yarmouth company Contemporary Ritual Theatre will bring the critically acclaimed SALT, a dark and visceral tale of ancient fisherfolk, to London's Riverside Studios for a limited run from Tuesday 3 - Sunday 15 March.
Created by playwright and director Beau Hopkins, SALT is a striking example of CRT's bold and innovative form of “ritual theatre” - a visceral and immersive style of performance designed to unite audiences and performers within a shared theatrical rite. Following a UK-wide tour in 2025, involving performances up and down the coast from the Isle of Wight to the Shetland Islands, SALT returns to the capital for an unmissable London run.
The East Norfolk coast. 1770. Man Billy, a violent young fisherman, lives among the dunes with his domineering Mother, Widow Pruttock, in a wild, brutal world ruled by superstition and the dark beat of the sea. Into this savage life comes Sheldis, a travelling singer with supernatural gifts. As Billy's obsession with her grows, his Mother, believing him bewitched, will do anything to break the spell.
Join three performers for a unique and immersive in-the-round experience, as they conjure a stark, mythic world of salt and song - weaving sea shanties, folk hymns and raucous dances into a mesmerising tale of magic, violence and tragic passion. Richly atmospheric and physically charged, SALT draws on the folklore, music and maritime heritage of the North Sea coast to immerse audiences in a world where belief and desire collide with otherworldly forces.
Founded in 2022 in Great Yarmouth, Contemporary Ritual Theatre is committed to developing a new form of ‘ritual theatre'. Emphasising the close physical connection of performers and audience, SALT integrates song, movement, dance, and masking to create a visceral, fast-paced and rhythmical theatrical experience. Using only a circle on the ground for a stage, CRT unites and transforms audiences and performers within a single, unforgettable ritual.
Beau Hopkins, playwright and director said: “SALT was born from the myths and music of coastal communities. Bringing the show to the Riverside Studios, right on the edge of the river, feels especially fitting: it's a place shaped by water, movement and the rich clamour of different voices. It gives us the chance to deepen a shared ritual again, to gather people together in one space and let the music, movement and story collectively transform us.”
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