Set in a dark waterfront bar of the same name, The Sea Horse is a tender yet brutally honest love story between two hardened outsiders: Gertrude, the tough, guarded bar owner, and Harry, a weathered seaman with a new dream. Their relationship, which has been puxrely physical so far, is tested when Harry returns from sea with a vision of a shared future and a proposal of marriage. As Harry attempts to break through Gertrude’s carefully constructed emotional walls, the play becomes a raw and compelling courtship ritual, filled with fighting, humour, and the painful revelation of long-held secrets. It is a story about vulnerability, the courage it takes to trust, and the profound human need for connection.
The Golden Goose Theatre is a delightful venue a short walk from Oval Tube station with buses stopping outside. The theatre space is to the rear of the bar and has around 80 seats in thrust formation making it perfect for so many fringe theatre productions.
The Sea Horse is a powerful play for two actors who have a strong connection but who also have former history that challenges their chance of a relationship together. Performed superbly by these two wonderful actors, you’ll be gripped the moment the play begins.
Played on a Set design that extremely effective: there’s the main bar counter and to the rear the kitchenette, bottle shelves, stools and the floor has a blended edge. I doubt a set of any larger size would manage to get into the space. As a regular visitor to productions at the Golden Goose this ranks as one of the most ambitious!
It’s the chemistry, the timing, the physicality of both Rachael Bellis (“Gertrude”) and Jay Rincon (“Harry”) that binds this play together. The story, although well paced, is a journey well trod. There is a lot of comedy in the writing, the characters have intelligence in their dialogue, and it thankfully feels colloquial.
Photo credit: Jess Blake
The Sea Horse
by Edward J Moore
Directed by Mandi Riggi
Golden Goose Theatre,
146 Camberwell New Rd, London SE5 0RR
4 – 15 November, 2025
Performance Times Tue – Sat | 7:30pm
Running Time: 1hr 45mins with 15min Interval
Tickets: £18 (£16 concs)
Book now at
GoldenGooseTheatre.co.co.uk