Olivier Award-winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Dunkirk) is joined by Emmy and BAFTA-winner Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, The Responder) in the critically acclaimed and subversively funny new play by David Ireland.

After years in the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka. The pair bond over black coffee, trade stories and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences. But as Luka approaches step five – the moment of confession – dangerous truths emerge, threatening the trust on which both of their recoveries depend.

Finn den Hertog directs the provocative and entertaining production filmed live from @sohoplace on London’s West End.

On September 25th 2025 the Riverside was 110 years old.

Our technical assistant, William Caley, has made a new film which looks back through the Riverside archive to when the cinema was built in 1915 and traces our 110 year history, and features a few recently newly filmed interviews with Pat Betts, Stuart Saunders and Tina Wiseman.

Our current manager, Neil, and Technical assistant, Will, have for the past few years been working on researching the cinema’s history and collecting all the material together to make a book (now available from the box office!), and this new documentary film.

Come along and celebrate our exciting and fascinating history for our 110th birthday.

SUFFOLK SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

Suffolk Shorts film festival returns to The Riverside for its 4th year with one day packed with 38 shortlisted short films from all over the world, and a special showcase for local filmmakers. The 4 award winners will be announced on the day.

New Voices: all genres of short films were considered for this category, with the focus being on storytelling in new ways. The shortlist of 9 films features a very hard hitting UK military drama, a short wistful animation, and a multinational imagining of a world where traditional cinema is extinct. New stories from new voices.

SUFFOLK SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

Suffolk Shorts film festival returns to The Riverside for its 4th year with one day packed with 38 shortlisted short films from all over the world, and a special showcase for local filmmakers. The 4 award winners will be announced on the day.

Unique perspectives: films on the fringe from a diverse range of perspectives. Each film offers a fresh lens on the world, flipping the script on reality. Dance, ice skating, a deep dive into the otherworldly bog biome, moody lo-fi music and clay modelling, and a reconstruction of memories on 16mm Kodak film. This program dares you to see the world differently.

SUFFOLK SHORTS

Suffolk Shorts film festival returns to The Riverside for its 4th year with one day packed with 38 shortlisted short films from all over the world, and a special showcase for local filmmakers. The 4 award winners will be announced on the day.

Narrative Shorts: Whether it’s unspeakable comedy, gripping drama, or something entirely original that defies genre, these short films deliver unforgettable stories. Featuring the 2025 BAFTA winner based on a true story, a window into the world of precocious French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, and a graphic imagining of a hidden threat to a surgeon on her last day in theatre. These are the storytellers of the future.

SUFFOLK SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

Suffolk Shorts film festival returns to The Riverside for its 4th year with one day packed with 38 shortlisted short films from all over the world, and a special showcase for local filmmakers. The 4 award winners will be announced on the day.

East Anglian showcase: We champion local filmmaking. For this category we have discovered short films that tell East Anglian Stories, films made by East Anglian filmmakers and films that have been made in East Anglia. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers hosted by actor/director Joshua Dickinson.