Theatre

Kidnap by Samia Rida at the Drayton Arms Theatre

Starting tonight, Tuesday 23rd June 2026 (until Saturday 27th June), Kidnap by Samia Rida returns to London at the Drayton Arms Theatre. This is after a successful run with Gilden Balloon at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025, and having been heralded as “a must-see show” (The Scotsman), with Samia described as “a superb storyteller” (Get Your Coats On).

Kidnap is based on the true story of Samia’s own kidnap to Saudi Arabia as a child. A dark, challenging and defiantly funny exploration of multiculturalism, the show also tells of domestic abuse, having a disabled sibling, and how kidnapping can involve a swimming pool.

Kidnap was previously performed at Riverside Studios’ Bitesize Festival, and the script has been optioned for television by Fulwell 73. Samia has previously acted in Breeders, Rebel Cheer Squad and Tell Me About Yourself, receiving a Best International Actor award. She has also been part of the BBC Writersroom and selected for the WFTV Mentoring Scheme as a writer.

The show is being supported by the charity Sibs, the BBC Comedy Collective and Funny Women, and has been developed with directorial support from Gareth Edwards (Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, Spaced, Upstart Crow).

Reviews of Kidnap

***** “A deeply personal piece of storytelling, and a story that deserves to be heard and heard again.”
– Get Your Coats On

“Filled with tenderness, humour, and the space to think, Kidnap captures the complication of human beings
and the lessons we can learn from those closest to us.” – Ed Fringe Review

“Entirely engrossing, a bonkers story, brilliantly told” – BBC Comedy Collective