'Hull feeds me more than living in Notting Hill would'

Playwright John Godber is marking more than four decades in theatre with a new touring production, reflecting on his ties to Hull, his career and why regional theatre still matters.

"I used to say that you know that when your career's finished, you start writing about the theatre.

"But I thought, 42 years later... I'll give it a shot."

After more than four decades in the industry, John Godber says his career is far from over.

The playwright, who has written more than 70 plays including Teechers (1987), Bouncers (1977) and Up 'n' Under (1984), is preparing to take his latest production, This Is The Life, on tour.

It opens at East Riding Theatre in Beverley on 27 June.

A month after turning 70, he says there is still more to come.

The rehearsal room at Hull Truck Theatre is warm, with windows open as a breeze moves through the space.

Actors run lines on a makeshift stage surrounded by props, while Godber watches, notebook open.

His connection to Hull stretches back decades.

Born in Upton, West Yorkshire in 1956, he recalls first visiting Hull in 1973, while playing at the All England Rugby Union Sevens Championships.

It was in 1984, however, that he moved here to become artistic director of Hull Truck Theatre, a role he held for 26 years.

"I came to Hull 42 years ago for three years. And, quite frankly, it changed my life."

"I was a drama teacher in a comprehensive school from West Yorkshire, I came to run Hull Truck, won an Olivier award, then nominated four times, and I won two BAFTAs. Then the work took off, and eventually we built the theatre, the new Hull Truck. And we've still got a good relationship here."

He says the city has continued to shape both his life and his work.

"I had opportunities to work at the National Theatre, in 1984, 1988 and 1991," he added.

"On all those three occasions, I turned it down because it didn't feel like it was where I belonged.

"Some of it is about confidence, to be absolutely frank. I'm not from a literary background... perhaps I am now with all the accolades and so on.

"But I still feel like a square peg in a round hole. And why, if you could do your own thing with your own company and with your own money... why wouldn't you?

"Hull feeds me more than I think living in Notting Hill would have done.

"And so my writing now is really... it's still really coming out of the local references that I've enjoyed having for the last 40 odd years."

His new play centres on two stage managers who learn the venue they work in is due to close, continuing his focus on people he describes as underdogs.

"There's something very strong, a strong kind of pulse, about the underdog.

"If you sit in the dark and you're told to press a button when the cue comes, the only thing you've got is your imagination.

"I also think the theatre actually is a place where you can lose yourself. I don't mean in a kind of candy floss way. I mean in a place where you can let your imagination take flight, and take you out of yourself for a brief moment in time," he adds.

Reflecting on the wider industry, he says regional theatre still needs support.

"I'm a little bit out of the loop of the state of regional theatre, but what I would say is this. We need more theatre, not less.

"There's a line in the play where he says, 'why has the theatre lost its grant?' And she says, 'Oh, no, the council have just pumped 5 million into it. They're closing the hospital and they're keeping the theatre open.' And the character says, 'it shouldn't be an either or.'"

Away from the stage, he also spoke about the John Godber Theatre Foundation, set up in 2011 by his daughter Martha in partnership with his company to support young people in Hull and East Yorkshire entering the industry.

But he is clear this is a legacy he is still building

"I don't think I'll be writing about a 70-year-old playwright living in Swanland. I mean, that's boring!

"But whilst ever there are societal things that are unfair, you find something to write about."

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