Unsinkable, written and directed by Liverpool playwright Matthew Reynolds, was a finalist in Tip Tray Theatre’s 2025 What Happens Next? new writing competition, held at Hope Street. Following a sold-out staged reading, the production returned in expanded form for a five-performance run at Hope Street from 30 September to 3 October 2026.
Starring Joseph Winder as J. Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, the play explored the aftermath of the Titanic disaster and the devastating personal consequences of surviving it.
The production attracted attention from theatre critics, including a four-star review.
Why it matters
For Hope Street, Unsinkable represents something important about independent theatre. New work needs somewhere to be tried, developed and seen. A short extract can become a full production, and an emerging writer can find an audience.
It’s a principle at the heart of our support for new writing, and one we’re continuing through our partnership with Off the Ground Theatre and the return of What Happens Next? in January 2027.