Silver & Gold – The Golden Hinde, Borough

Adapted By & Director: James Hyland

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Captivating Performance“

4 / 5

Edward John Silver – or Long John Silver as he’s more commonly known, is fed up with the incorrect, misinformed reputation that people have of him, Treasure Island a book of lies that has besmirched his name and frankly nearly ruined his life.

The audience are invited onto the boat as potential crew recruits for his ship, given the opportunity to leave if Long John Silver’s (James Hyland) expectations of hard work and dedication aren’t something you’ll be able to meet. As part of his induction of sorts, he finally decides to set the record straight about Treasure Island and his life on the seven seas, weaving intriguing tales about his shipmates, the troubles they’ve run into and his life on board.

You couldn’t pick a better venue for a pirate show than the legendary Golden Hinde; a full scale 16th Century galleon docked in London Bridge. Prior to the show, audiences are permitted to roam the boat, clambering around the tight spaces and ducking into low ceilinged rooms filled with cannons, immediately adding a fantastic pre-show experience to set the scene. And, you equally couldn’t pick a better person for the part than James Hyland, who gives a captivating, commanding and utterly electric performance throughout the 60 minute runtime.

Hyland bellows out his stories with wonderful diction, his blasé but focused storytelling and exasperated frustrations at the book completely believable throughout. Though his character is mostly quite frightening, he’s also wickedly funny, humorously recounting various memories, or singling out audience members as his companions with expert approach. There is 10 minutes or so at the end of the show, allowing for audience questions, which he answers with zero hesitation, completely in character and perfectly answered, with the same wicked wit as his scripted moments on stage.

A brilliantly immersive experience, with a masterclass performance from the very talented James Hyland.

Reviewed on 24th February 2026