Hull Truck Theatre facts for kids
Hull Truck Theatre, Ferensway, Hull in 2012
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| Address | 50 Ferensway, Hull, HU2 8LB East Riding of Yorkshire England |
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| Coordinates | 53°44′46″N 0°20′47″W / 53.746200°N 0.346500°W |
| Capacity | 437 main house, 135 studio |
| Production | Visiting and own productions |
| Website | |
| www.hulltruck.co.uk | |
Hull Truck Theatre is a famous theatre in Kingston upon Hull, England. It puts on exciting plays and also takes its shows on tour. In March 2022, the theatre's first home on Coltman Street got a special blue plaque. This happened to celebrate the theatre's 50th birthday!
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How Hull Truck Theatre Started
The Hull Truck Theatre Company began in 1971. An actor and musician named Mike Bradwell started it. He couldn't find work, so he put an ad in Time Out magazine. It said, "Half-formed theatre company seeks other half."
Their first plays, Children of the Lost Planet and Last of the Great Love Goddesses, didn't attract many people. So, the company decided to create plays especially for children.
Early Tours and Shows
The company first toured from their base on Coltman Street in Hull. This was where the actors lived and practiced. Hull Truck soon became well-known for its children's shows. They also created plays for working men's clubs and late-night cabaret.
Mike Bradwell wanted all the actors to play musical instruments. He said their shows were "provocative and challenging, but above all, entertaining." Music was a big part of their work. They also had a fun, rebellious spirit.
In 1974, the company created a play called The Knowledge. More than half the audience left during its first show in Manchester. But a reviewer from The Guardian newspaper, Robin Thornber, loved it. This led to the Bush Theatre in London putting on the play.
Hull Truck's Home on Spring Street
In April 1983, Hull Truck Company found a new home. It was the Spring Street Theatre. This building used to be St Stephen's church hall. The church itself was bombed during the Second World War.
This small theatre had 150 seats. It was once called The Hull Arts Centre. A Hull writer named Alan Plater helped start the Humberside Theatre there in 1970. The theatre closed in 1981. But in 1983, it reopened as the Hull Truck Theatre.
John Godber Becomes Director
John Godber became the artistic director in 1984. At first, he didn't know how much the theatre was struggling financially. He was earning a good living as a teacher. But he wanted to produce his own plays. So, he took the job.
He wrote Up 'n' Under, a play about rugby league in Hull. This play became a big success. One of Hull Truck's most famous plays is Godber's Bouncers. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007. This play was the last one performed before the theatre moved to a new building.
A New Theatre in Ferensway
In 2006, work began on a brand new theatre in Ferensway, Hull. It was part of the St Stephen's development. This theatre was built just for the Hull Truck Company.
It was funded by the Arts Council, Hull City Council, and the European Regional Development Fund. The theatre was finished three years later. It cost about £15 million to build.
The first play performed there was Godber's Funny Turns. It opened on April 25, 2009.
New Leadership and Events
Gareth Tudor Price was the artistic director for two years. During his time, Hull Truck Theatre hosted the start of Hull's Larkin 25 Festival in June 2010. This festival celebrated 25 years since the poet Philip Larkin passed away. It included 25 weeks of events.
The launch featured poetry from Mario Petrucci. A band called All What Jazz also performed. The theatre also hosted the annual Philip Larkin Society lecture. Actor Barrie Rutter gave the talk that year.
Later that year, the theatre changed its management. Paul Marshall became operations director. Andrew Smaje was hired as the new chief executive. His job was to improve the theatre's shows and attract more people. Smaje started in October, after working at the Theatre Royal, Bath for ten years.
Special Celebrations and Awards
40th Anniversary
In 2012, Hull Truck Theatre celebrated its 40th birthday! They put on many special shows that year. These included a new version of Once Upon a Time in Wigan. They also showed Matt Hartley's Sixty Five Miles and a new production of Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. A UK tour of DNA by Dennis Kelly also happened.
Mike Bradwell, who started Hull Truck, returned in March 2012. He performed parts of the early Hull Truck shows. This was part of the 40th anniversary celebration. Other original actors, called "Truckers," joined him.
Later in 2012, the company was nominated for an award. It was the TMA Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre. Plays that toured that year included The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
In October 2012, Hull city centre received a "Purple Flag" award. This award is for great nightlife. The Association of Town Centre Management praised Hull Truck Theatre. They said it made an "outstanding contribution" to entertainment in the city.
In January 2013, Hull Truck Theatre was nominated for another award. It was for Best Visiting Production at the Manchester Theatre Awards for DNA.
In April 2013, Mike Bradwell directed a play for the first time in over 30 years. He directed the first show of Queen of the Nile by Tim Fountain.
In May 2013, Mark Babych became the new artistic director. In April 2014, the theatre received £400,000 in grants. These came from Arts Council England and Hull City Council.
Awards for Arts and Culture
In November 2015, Hull Truck Theatre won an award. It was the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Arts and Culture award. They won for helping plan Hull UK City of Culture 2017.
They won this award again in November 2017. And they won it a third time in November 2019! In 2019, Hull Truck Theatre also won a Silver Award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism. This was also at the White Rose Awards.
Hull UK City of Culture 2017
Hull Truck Theatre had a special "Year of Exceptional Drama programme" for Hull UK City of Culture 2017. They worked with partners like the Royal Shakespeare Company and Northern Broadsides.
In June 2017, Hull Truck Theatre was shortlisted for the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Arts and Culture award. This was for their amazing drama program.
In September 2017, Hull Truck Theatre was nominated for an award. It was the Achievement in Marketing/Audience Development award at the UK Theatre Awards.
