The Captain
By Adam Riches
The fastest took six hours and forty-five minutes.
The longest was four times, non-stop, in a row.
But the first? The first is all that matters. The first is all anybody remembers…
From the writer of Jimmy, the sold-out, smash-hit, one-man show – ‘…solo shows are ten a penny, this feels like one in a million’ ★★★★★ (Telegraph) – comes the true story of Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel. The bravery! The fortitude! The sheer outright insanity! It’s time to remember this most humble of men, whose extraordinary feat ought to be far more celebrated than it is. A man who died as he lived, chasing the impossible.
ADAM says…
“This is such a rollicking yarn and one I’ve long wanted to adapt into something live. There’s so much drama here on offer, so much comedy, that it has been truly difficult to decide what to leave out and what to put front and centre. But if Captain Webb can swim the English Channel in a little under twenty-two hours, Adam Riches can tell the story of him swimming it (and more) in one!”
Tigco is association with Park Theatre.
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Evenings
19.00
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Duration
60 minutes
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Tickets
£15
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Genre
Drama
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Content warnings
Contains some audience interaction.
Previous praise for Adam Riches
"Feels like one in a million."
The Telegraph
"Truly an experience to be witnessed live."
Everything Theatre
"His physicality and pacing are mesmeric."
The List
"A triumph of cunningly crafted, high-energy character comedy"
Time Out
"There’s no-one else quite like him"
The Independent
"A unique experience"
The Scotsman
"Never less than brilliant"
Fest
"Energetic, brash, incredibly well synchronised."
One4Review
Cast & Creatives
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Adam Riches
Actor & Writer
Adam Riches
Actor & Writer
Adam is an award-winning writer and performer who was named Time Out Comedy Person of the Year after winning the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show in 2011. He was invited to perform at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival and was nominated for The Times Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Sky Arts South Bank Show Awards. He is best known for his portrayal of actor Sean Bean on the panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and both series of his Radio 4 series The Guns of Adam Riches.
TV credits include: Detectorists (BBC Four); Top Coppers (BBC Three); Horrible Histories (BBC One) and Drunk History (Comedy Central).
Adam has recently been seen in the five star, totally sold-out smash hits Jimmy at Park Theatre and Adam Riches and John Kearns ARE Ball & Boe at Soho Theatre Walthamstow. He will soon be seen in Edinburgh 2026 with ‘The Captain’ and ‘The Critic’s Way’.
Select a date
Displaying 3 performances for The Captain
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Thu 23 Jul 2026
7pm
- £15
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Fri 24 Jul 2026
7pm
- £15
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Sat 25 Jul 2026
7pm
- £15
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