Hull Truck Theatre are looking forward to welcoming audiences this July with a variety of live entertainment, from wholesome family fun to start the summer holidays, through to laugh out loud comedy, a buzzing eclectic music programme and a public sharing of new work in progress.
Kicking of the July programme, young children from across the city will work together to share the story of William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, Twelfth Night (Tuesday 4 – Wednesday 5 July). The RSC Playmaking Festival is presented by Hull Truck Theatre and St Mary’s College with the aim of enhancing school children’s experiences of Shakespeare.
Ben Lancaster, Head of Performing Arts, St Mary’s College, said:
“Our collaboration with the RSC is a vital step in our mission to further support our students in their introduction to Shakespeare and live theatre. Our partnership with Hull Truck Theatre is very special to us, and one that I hope will continue and develop for years to come”.
For fans of the mighty Hercules, the adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur, and many other myths and legends, Timeless Tales (Saturday 8 July) will captivate audiences as Hull Truck’s Youth Theatre bring a fresh and exciting energy to these classics. Putting their own unique spin on these age-old stories, this production is a vibrant and dynamic re-imagining of classic stories that have passed down through generations.
Josie Lena Davies, Community & Learning Associate Director at Hull Truck Theatre said:
“Our Youth Theatre groups have collaborated this term on creating brand new versions of some of our oldest stories. Their fresh perspectives have added comedy and insight into these retellings, which should be equally thought-provoking and fun.”
First Thursday Theatre Club (Thursday 6 July) also returns for July. This monthly daytime session, designed and hosted by Hull Truck Theatre, is for adults of any age who are looking to sharpen their theatre skills. This session, using European plays, will give participants the opportunity to learn about translation and to test it out in practice. Each month’s the club will cover a different theatre topic ranging from performance techniques, approaches to theatre-making, playwriting and specific influential theatre artist’s work. Keep an eye on the website for future sessions and themes.
Fireman Sam Saves the Circus (Saturday 22 July) returns by popular demand in an all singing, all dancing, action-packed show. With low availability already for these two performances which fall on the first day of the school summer holidays, audiences are urged to get their tickets booked quickly to avoid disappointed. Family tickets available.
Nick Cope’s Family Show (Friday 28 July) is a one-hour acoustic, seated performance recommended for children aged 2+ and their families. Nick sings his uniquely crafted songs while playing his guitar, accompanied by a backdrop of animated projections. You can find Nick on CBeebies in Nick Cope’s Popcast.
Grow Season comes to a close in July having successfully showcased and supported an array of artists over the last three months. Making a welcome return to Hull Truck Theatre, Kevin Precious will take to the stage with The Reluctant Teacher, a funny overview of the pitfalls and pratfalls that go with his former profession of being a teacher. The show, Kevin Precious & Joe Wells (Double-Bill) (Thursday 13 July) will also include a performance from Joe Wells: King Of The Autistics, a stand-up act about representation, role models and the fight for autistic rights. Safer (Friday 28 July) is a contemporary drama inspired by a true story. It’s a hard hitting, tender and a funny exploration of the toxic side of team sports and how one new team decided to tackle it head on. A poignant and thought-provoking piece of work, presented on the eve of Hull Pride.
The Be Our Guest (Friday 14 July) residency programme will present three 30-minutes performances of new work in development as part of a sharing for the Grow Season finale. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to experience new work created by local talent, before anyone else. Jim Norris will present ‘No Scrap No Chips’ (working title), where brothers John and Colin are Rag and Bone men, collecting scrap using a horse and cart. Anastasiia Manina will present ‘Ask Stepan’ (working title), a verbatim piece, comprising of stories from Ukrainian women who came to Hull in 2022. The story will follow one Ukrainian woman and her bicycle Stepan. Laura Elsworthy and Morgan Sproxton will present ‘Good Girl’ (working title), an experimental piece of theatre created to challenge audiences’ perceptions of pole dancing and invoke discussion about what makes a working-class woman and particularly, a good one. Tickets for the sharing are now on sale for £10 and also include a pint and chips!
From new work to the more familiar, One Off Productions return to Hull Truck Theatre with their production of Spamalot (Tuesday 11 July – Sat 15 July). The award-winning musical, which enjoyed huge success on Broadway and in the West End will be a genuinely funny, laugh out loud production not to be missed – especially by Monty Python die-hard fans.
If laughter is what you are looking for then join us for the hilarious one-man show The Very Best of Tommy Cooper (Wednesday 26 July). Written by Danny Taylor, the show includes many of Cooper’s beloved one-liners, dazzling wordplay and celebrated tricks, including Glass/Bottle, Dappy Duck, Spot the Dog and Jar/Spoon.
For music fans, Rock For Heroes (Friday 21 July) is back! The show invites audiences to escape the 9 to 5 and sing, laugh and dance the night away whilst supporting the amazing ‘Help For Heroes’ charity. That weekend, you can also join the Alex Voysey Blues Band as they present Old Dogs New Tricks – A Blues Experience (Saturday 22 July) a highly entertaining travelogue through the Blues, from founding fathers such as BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughan through to current icons such as Joe Bonamassa, Joanne Shaw-Taylor and tracks from Alex’s own debut blues album released last year, ‘Head In A Blur’. If that is not enough, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys will present Good Time Rhythm and Blues (Saturday 29 July). With nearly 7,000 performances across 27 countries under their belt in their 35 years on the road, they are more than just the world’s greatest jump, jive and swing band – they’re an institution!
Yorkshire Silent Film will present Metropolis (Silent Film) (Saturday 15 July). Brought to vivid life with an improvised piano soundtrack performed by Jonny Best, be transported into the future where it is 2026. In the high-tech city of the future, the rich enjoy a life of luxury while the poor are enslaved underground, in the city’s mechanical underbelly.
To mark Hull Pride (Saturday 29 July), Hull Independent Cinema’s Audience Choice Screening (Wednesday 26 July), will be a celebration of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, the stories they tell and the communities they represent on screen. From audience suggestions the shortlist of films include ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’ (1999), ‘Call Me By Your Name’ (2017), ‘Happy Together’ (1997) and ‘Tangerine’ (2015). The final film nominated by audiences will be announced shortly.
Samuel Sims, Trustee and Programmer at Hull Independent Cinema said:
“We are proud at Hull Independent Cinema to both be allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The arts are still heavily saturated with stories that don’t represent marginalised people, so we feel it is incredibly important to highlight them whenever possible – now, more than ever. Keep an eye on Hull Independent Cinema’s socials to find out how to take part and updates on an exciting pre-film event”.
For more information about Hull Truck Theatre and to buy tickets for any of the shows and opportunities taking place in July, find out more here.
