The Iranian Embassy Siege - The True Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama
Ben Macintyre and special guest Sim Harris
Britain’s best-selling historian Ben Macintyre tells the extraordinary story of the SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London – joined live on stage by former hostage Sim Harris.
On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy in London and took 26 hostages. A tense six-day siege ensued as millions gathered around screens to witness the longest news flash in British television history, in which negotiators sought a bloodless end to the standoff, while the SAS laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod.
Now bestselling historian, Times columnist and SAS expert Ben Macintyre joins us to tell the definitive story of the embassy siege, accompanied by former hostage Sim Harris, whose leap from the balcony of a burning room was broadcast live and remains the most iconic image of the siege.
Drawing on unpublished source material and the testimony of the key actors, this is a chance to hear a thrilling account of one of the major historical events of our time.
Bestselling historian and Times columnist Ben Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of books including Colditz, Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat and A Spy Among Friends. He is a columnist and Associate Editor at The Times, and has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. Several of his books have been made into films and television series, including Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes.
Presented by How To Academy. Tickets for this event are booked through How To Academy’s Box Office.
To book access tickets, please email How To Academy at [email protected], highlighting any access requirements they need to take into consideration to help you get the best experience.
Barbican Hall
Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level.
Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS
Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.
We’ve plenty of places for you to relax and replenish, from coffee and cake to wood-fired pizzas and full pre-theatre menus
Mobility
Spaces for wheelchair users in row U at the rear of the stalls (up to sixteen, depth of row 180cm) and the back row of the circle (four), both with fold-down companion seats. Some seats in row S of the stalls for people with very limited mobility.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the concert hall where there are a limited number of suitable seats in row G of the stalls. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the cloakroom staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
There is an induction loop in the concert hall. You can use this by adjusting your hearing aid to the ‘T’ setting.
Free large-print programmes
These are available for most of our concerts. Please contact [email protected] at least a week beforehand, to prebook a large-print programmme.
For more access information, please visit our Accessibility section.
