John Godber Archives - North West End UK

The Highwayman – Shakespeare North Playhouse

27Jun

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Highwayman – Shakespeare North Playhouse

With more swagger than Ronaldo, Mick Jagger, and the cast of Made in Chelsea combined, this lively John Godber production gallops onto stage to introduce us to the most infamous scoundrel you’ve never actually heard of. Meet John Swift, a young man who decides to combine his skills as a butcher and infantryman in the French army to attempt to take Dick Turpin’s crown, robbing a living from the rich who pass through his town. But as he starts to waver in his choice of a life of crime, can he find a way of making an honest wage and afford his darling wife, Molly May the lifestyle she desires? Under Godber’s nimble direction, the show manages to keep one foot in the 18th century and the other firmly in his trademark Yorkshire grit and humour. It’s part restoration love story, part farci...

Do I Love You – Shakespeare North Playhouse

5Apr

By Coral MourantNo Comments

North West

Do I Love You – Shakespeare North Playhouse

A love letter to Northern Soul from the witty playwright John Godber tours the UK this year, and it’s guaranteed to tug at a few heartstrings and give us all the nostalgia kick we crave. Three twenty-somethings from Hull contemplate life, friendship and the state of the world in this delightful comedy. Finding an appreciation for Northern Soul, the friends explore why this phenomenon was so popular, and how we’re all just wishing for the simple joys of the old days. With dreams paused because of Covid, and a feeling of helplessness and resentment in their working-class roots, the trio find their solace in the discovery of Northern Soul dancing. Sally’s gran has a load of vinyl in the attic, the song “Do I Love You” is constantly played at their work (a drive through takeaway, which m...

12Mar

By NewsdeskNo Comments

North West

Do I Love You? – Octagon Theatre

During the mid-1970’s a curious phenomenon was taking place in obscure nightclubs of northern Britain; in Cleethorpes and Blackpool and from Manchester to Wolverhampton young men and women were donning braces, tank tops and red star vests and gyrating all night to the melancholy lyrics and upbeat tempo of Soul music imported from the United States. This movement became known as Northern Soul and one of its disciples John Godber has taken it as the inspiration for this terrific piece of theatre, which examines the loss of community and identity in our post-Covid world, all to the soundtrack of some of the sweetest songs ever recorded. The Mecca of this scene was undoubtedly Wigan Casino and fifty years later just eleven miles down the A58 the packed press night clearly has stalwarts from...

14Feb

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Teechers – The Forum Theatre

Before I set off to watch this show this evening, I was trying to remember previous occasions when I had seen NK put on this play by John Godber (who is one of the authors who they seem to visit on a regular basis, having seen “Bouncers and Shakers” a number of times also) and if my memory is correct, I think this is the third time I have seen it in the past 8 years or so. Previous casts have utilised more adult actors, but this production is much more realistic in that all the cast are still in their teens so are genuinely playing characters of their own age. Teechers is actually a play within a play, which the students perform for their teachers, taking on twenty or so different roles throughout the show. The stage setting is very basic, consisting of a noticeboard, blackboard, a coup...

10Apr

By Scot CunninghamNo Comments

North West

Bouncers – Octagon Theatre

Since its debut at the 1977 Edinburgh Festival, Bouncers has enjoyed countless revivals and tours. To a first-time viewer, though, this iteration of the classic, northern nightclub comedy suggests that last orders were called a long while ago. An interchangeable quartet of mostly-like-minded bouncers work the doors of Mr Cinders: their interactions and observations are interspersed with the activities of different sets of partygoers, from celebrating girls to pseudo-alpha males. Under the direction of Jane Thornton, the piece promptly establishes exactly who its target audience is, as the doormen proudly declare that, in their pocket of the 1980s, “nothing is woke”. The uttering of this tiresome phrase lays the foundation for the humour that is to follow: fat jokes, gay jokes, women ...

22Feb

By Paddy Darnell-WalshNo Comments

North West

Bouncers – Blackpool Grand

If your name’s not on the list, you’re not coming in… Bouncers is back in Blackpool with a bang! Named as one of The National Theatre’s ‘Plays of the Century’, John Godber’s classic is at the Grand Theatre for a very limited run. With a contemporary introduction for a 2024 audience, Bouncers quickly returns to its roots. Keeping faith with Godber’s original script, packed with humour and nostalgia, this new production takes us back to the 1980s when disco was king, and everyone lived for the weekend. Les, Ralph, Judd and Lucky Eric (played wonderfully by George Reid, Tom Whittaker, Nick Figgis and Frazer Hammill respectively) take us on the journey back to relive a night in nightclub “Mr Cinders”. With an exhilarating, toe-tapping 80s soundtrack, this production is as fantastic for its ...

Teechers Leavers ’22 – Hull Truck Theatre

25May

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

Teechers Leavers ’22 – Hull Truck Theatre

Zoom, Netflix, Wordle, Covid 19, sanitising, face masks, Til Tok were all clues that playwright John Godber’s production Teechers, first performed in 1987, had been brought up to date with his re-imagined version - Teechers Leavers ’22. The Hull Truck Theatre was very well attended on Tuesday evening, as theatregoers not only looked forward to watching this rewrite, but also to the fact that Godber had been honoured with having the theatre’s Studio space renamed the Godber Studio. I arrived early on the night so I could be privy to the, admittedly short and sweet, speeches by the production’s director, Mark Babych, and Godber, in what is this popular theatre’s 50th anniversary year. Then it was showtime. As the lights dimmed, the deliberately unfussy stage setting came into view, ...

April in Paris – Birkenhead Little Theatre

2Feb

By Ezzy LaBelleNo Comments

North West

April in Paris – Birkenhead Little Theatre

Imagine winning a prize that whisks you away from the humdrum of life and the everyday. The kind of prize that offers excitement, opportunity and escapism with a bit of romance thrown in. That’s exactly what happens to lead characters Bet and Al in April in Paris. Entrenched in the monotony of existence, we join them as they inadvertently expand their horizons thanks to Bet winning in a ‘Romantics Breaks’ competition. Bet enters them for ‘a new life’. Al was sure she wouldn’t win. John Godber’s short observational play is layered with juxtapositions the audience can identify with - humour and depression, love and loathing, hope and pessimism – making the show a thought-provoking watch. With bags packed and contrasting enthusiasm, Bet and Al head to Paris for their first experience ab...

Have a theatrical staycation with Sunny Side Up

30Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Have a theatrical staycation with Sunny Side Up

Prolific playwright John Godber returns to Oldham from Tuesday 19th – Saturday 23rd October with his latest play, Sunny Side Up. Written, directed and starring John Godber, with Jane Thornton, from the West End hit Scary Bikers, Sunny Side Up is the hilarious and moving account of a struggling Yorkshire coast B&B and the people who run it. Join down to earth proprietors Barney, Cath and Tina as they share their stories of awkward clients, snooty relatives and eggs over easy, in this seaside feel good rollercoaster which digs into what ‘staycations’ are all about. If you’re thinking of holidaying at home this year, why not book into the Sunny Side boarding house soon? John Godber is one of Britain's most prolific playwrights, with hits including: Teechers, Bouncers, Up N Un...

12Sep

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

North West

Bouncers – Rainhill Village Hall

Rainhill Musical Theatre Company return to the stage with a bang and a bounce with their production of John Godber’s classic 1977 play covering an evening working the doors of a nightclub for four bored doormen and their likely clientele: four young beer swilling lads hoping to get lucky, and four excitable teenage girls out for a bit of dancing, drinking, and whatever the eye might fancy, including visits to hairdressers in its build-up and fast-food vendors in the climactic come down. Other than the excellent writing, what makes this such a clever piece of theatre is that all the roles throughout are portrayed by four bouncers – Lucky Eric (Paul Robinson), Les (Ben Evans-Clarke), Judd (K. Ellis), and Ralph (Aidan Maj) – who, with the simplest of sets, the minimum of props, and no cost...