Hull Truck Theatre kicks off an exciting 50th Anniversary Year in 2022, presenting its own headline production, a riotous new comedy by Richard Bean (The Hypocrite, One Man, Two Guvnors), with music by musician, writer and comedy actor Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer The Opera).
Especially commissioned to mark our birthday year, 71 Coltman Street (Thursday 17 Feb – Saturday 12 March) begins a suite of work that celebrates our past, present and future; an origins story that embraces the spirit of our founders and the ideals and ideas that drove them. It’s full of Richard’s trademark humour, grit and passion with cracking tunes based on original songs. The cast includes a mix of new and familiar faces with a wealth of talent and experience.
Kieran Knowles will be playing the role of Hull Truck Theatre founder Mike Bradwell. Kieran has twice performed in New York Times critics pick plays at the Brits Off Broadway Festival, The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter’s Tale (Royal Shakespeare Company). He is also known for both acting and writing on Operation Crucible.
Adrian Hood started his career in Hull Truck Theatre’s 1988 play “Salt of the Earth” by John Godber, before going on to work with the company in many different shows including Bouncers and Up ‘n’ Under, Pub Quiz is Life and Smack Family Robinson. Also known for his role asNorman in BBC’S Dinnerladies.
Jordan Metcalfe will also be returning to Hull Truck Theatre,whose credits includeCharlie in the Bafta winning film Pride, and The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe), but who is recognisable to Hull audiences as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and James Graham’s The Culture (Hull Truck Theatre and Hull UK City of Culture 2017).
Both Adrian Hood and Jordan Metcalfe were part of the sell out production of The Hypocrite (Hull Truck Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Hull UK City of Culture 2017).
Other familiar faces will include; Laurie Jamieson from Romeo and Juliet and Prince Charming’s Xmas Cracker (Hull Truck Theatre); Joanna Holden from Peter Pan (Hull Truck Theatre); Matthew Booth fromWar Horse (UK and International Tour – National Theatre) and Richard III (Hull Truck Theatre, Northern Broadsides and Hull UK City of Culture); Lauryn Redding from The Worst Witch (Vaudeville Theatre, West End – Olivier Award Winner); Oliver Twist and The Hired Man (Hull Truck Theatre).
They will be joined by Hanna Khogali whose credits include You Bury Me (Paines Plough and Swallows and Amazons (York Theatre Royal).
Mike Bradwell is on a mission to revolutionise British theatre. He’s sick of fancy plays by dead blokes and wants to tell stories about real people, living real lives. And it doesn’t get more real than Hull.
In a freezing cold house on Coltman Street, a motley crew of unemployed actors gather to improvise a play with no name, no plot, no budget, and no bookings.
Richard Bean’s hilarious and irreverent comedy takes us back to the 70s and Hull Truck Theatre’s origin story. It is a roaring combination of comedy, cabaret, farce, and drama. Join us for a celebration of where it all began…
Mark Babych, Artistic Director at Hull Truck Theatre, said: “We are thrilled to begin our 50th Anniversary Season with 71 Coltman Street. From our radical roots to who we are now, Hull Truck Theatre remains a company inspired by the people and place of Hull and East Yorkshire, working with a diverse range of artists and communities to create work with a unique northern voice that celebrates the stories of our city centre stage.
We’re incredibly excited to be working with Richard again after the amazing success of The Hypocrite in 2017. After such a long association with the company, with an incredible track record of work including Toast, Under The Whaleback, Up on The Roof, Richard’s commitment to the company and the city is something of which we are incredibly proud.
In writing the play, Richard conducted extensive research with the original company members and of course, our founding Artistic Director, Mike Bradwell. 71 Coltman Street is Richard’s creative response to the early days of our company, some of its true, some of its not, but to quote the late great Eric Morecombe, the play is “playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order”!”
CREATIVE TEAM
Richard Bean – Writer
Mark Babych – Director
Sara Perks – Set and Costume Designer
Richard Thomas – Composer
Sonum Batra – Musical Director
Charlie Morgan Jones – Lighting Design
Adam McCready – Sound Design
Annelie Powell – Casting
Sarah Harkins – Casting Assistant
Claire Llewellyn – Fight Director
Hannah Stone – Assistant Director
CAST
Kieran Knowles – Mike Bradwell
A new face to Hull Truck Theatre, Kieran’s theatre credits include: Operation Crucible (Sheffield Crucible, Finborough Theatre, 59E59 New York); Toast (UK Tour and 59E59 New York); The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter’s Tale (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Witches Promise (Birmingham REP); The Exclustion Zone (Southwark Playhouse); Waiting For Lefty (Theatre Royal Haymarket).
Kieran is also a writer and his credits include: Operation Crucible (Sheffield Crucible, Finborough, 59E59 New York and BBC Radio 4); 31 Hours (Bunker Theatre); Chicken Soup (Sheffield Crucible); Some People Feel the Rain (Manchester Royal Exchange); Comet (The Pleasance); Cornerstone (BBC Radio 4).
Laurie Jamieson – Stew
Theatre credits include: The Last of the Pelican Daughters (The Wardrobe Ensemble); The Canary & the Crow (Middle Child Theatre: Edinburgh, Paines Ploughat Stratford East, Arcola); Joan of Leeds (Breach Theatre); Thor & Loki (VickyGraham Productions/House of Blakewell); Wendy & Peter (Edinburgh Lyceum), Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs (Southwark Playhouse); Dyl
(Old Red Lion); Red Wolf (The Vaults); Operation Black Antler (Blast Theory/Hydrocracker); Hollow (Bikeshed, Exeter); Richard II (Willow Globe).
Last year (2021) Laurie joined us for Romeo and Juliet (Hull Truck Theatre); as well as previously performing for Hull Truck Theatre in Prince Charming’s Xmas Cracker, Treasure Island, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.
Jordan Metcalfe – Julian
Theatre credits include: Jack Absolute Flies Again, The Pillowman (National Theatre); EYAM, The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe); For Love Or Money (Northern Broadsides); The Hypocrite (Hull Truck Theatre, Hull UK City of Culture, Royal Shakespeare Company); Posh (Nottingham Playhouse and Salisbury Playhouse); Hobsons Choice (Regents Park Open Air Theatre).
TV credits include: Father Brown; Misfits; Heartbeat.
Film credits include: W.A.R.S (Propellant LTD); Play The Game (FAMILIA Films); Fractured (Jump Start Productions); Pride (Clamity Films); Hearts and Minds (Scratch Mark Films); These Foolish Things (Micro Fusion 2004-4).
Lauryn Redding – Linda
Theatre credits include: Bloody Elle: A Gig Musical (Royal Exchange, Manchester); The Worst Witch (Vaudeville Theatre, West End – Olivier Award Winner); The Hired Man (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch/Hull Truck/Oldham Coliseum); Macbeth/Midsummer Night’s Dream/Twelfth Night (Wilton’s Music Hall); Seagulls (Bolton Octagon); Oliver Twist (Hull Truck Theatre); Educating Rita (UK Tour); Bread And Roses/Up ‘n’ Under/Oh What A Lovely War/Dreamers (Oldham Coliseum); Romeo and Juliet (The Watermill Theatre); Horrible Histories (The Lowry); The Comedy Of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe and UK/European Tour); Treasure Island/Peter Pan in Scarlet (New Vic Theatre); Frankenstein (Salisbury Playhouse); An August Bank Holiday Lark/ She Stoops to Conquer/ The Winter’s Tale (Northern Broadsides); Alice’s Adventures Underground (Waterloo Vaults); Barmy Britain/Barmy Britain Part Two- Horrible Histories (Garrick Theatre, West End, UK and Australian Tour); Wind In The Willows (West Yorkshire Playhouse); King Lear/Different Buttons (Red Rose Chain); The Enough Project (The Lowry); Shhh (Theatre 503); Numb (Arcola Theatre); Tall Tales (Theatr Clywd).
TV credits include: Mallory (The Midwich Cuckoos); Sarah (EastEnders); Nurse Price (Emmerdale); Sarah (Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show).
Hanna Khogali – Beatrice
Theatre credits include: Brief Encounter (The Watermill); You Bury Me (Paines Plough); Once (UK Tour); Swallows and Amazons (York Theatre Royal); Moll Flanders (Mercury Theatre); Good Fit (Southwark Playhouse); The Lost Ones (The Bush); The Collection (The Wallace Collection); Rags (Hope Mill – UK Premiere); Broken Wings (The Other Palace); Daisy Pulls it Off (Charing Cross).
Joanna Holden – Mrs Snowball / Camo / Policeman
Theatre credits include: Twelfth Night (Lyceum/Bristol Old Vic); Peter Pan (Hull Truck Theatre); The Tempest, Bleak House (Creation Theatre); Handfast (Nutshell Theatre Company). Joanna has also performed at The British Library, Manchester Royal Exchange, Live Theatre, Northern Stage (Founder Member); Svenska Theatre Finland, Soho Theatre, Keswick Theatre by the Lake, Bush Theatre, The Royal Court, Bolton Octagon, RNT, Sheffield Crucible, Perth Rep, The Gate, The Tricycle, Polka, and The Gilded Balloon.
Film credits include: An interview with a Hitman and The Enormous Turnip.
Adrian Hood – Our Seth
Born in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, where he attended Minsthorpe High School with John Godber as his drama teacher. His first job was at the Theatre Royal, Wakefield in Hull Truck Theatre’s 1988 play Salt of the Earth by John Godber, before going on to work with the company in many different shows including Bouncers, Fly me to the Moon, Perfect Pitch, Our House, Weekend Breaks, up ‘n’ Under, Up ‘n’ Under 2, Stand and Billy Liar. Adrian has performed in several of Richard Bean’s plays including Harvest and The Heretic (Royal Court, London); Pub Quiz is Life and Smack Family Robinson (Hull Truck Theatre); and The Hypocrite (Hull Truck Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Hull UK City of Culture 2017).
Other theatre credits include: The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Royal National Theatre); Much Ado about Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe); Angels of the North (John Godber Company).
TV credits include: Frazer McAlpine (Holby City); Norman (Dinnerladies).
Matthew Booth – Graeme Burke / Daz / Howard Gibbins / Taxi Driver
Theatre credits include: War Horse (UK and International Tour ‘19 – ’20 for the National Theatre); For Love or Money (Northern Broadsides); When we are Married (Northern Broadsides); Last Train to Scarborough and Lost and Found (Stephen Joseph); The Goal (Hereford Courtyard); Happy Jack (John Godber Theatre Co); Hitchcock Blonde, Bouncers, Beef, Teechers, Unleashed, Wrestling Mad, My Favourite Summer, Up n Under, Our House, Me and Me Dad, Christmas Crackers, Richard III, Elves and the Shoemaker (Hull Truck Theatre).
TV credits include: Hollyoaks; Emmerdale; Coronation Street; The Royal; At Home with the Braithwaites.
Film credits include: ID2 Shadwell Army.
71 Coltman Street
Dates: Thursday 17 February – 12 March 2022
Tickets: £28.50 – £10
Box office information:
Hull Truck Theatre, 50 Ferensway, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU2 8LB
01482 323638