JOHN GODBER, PLAYWRIGHT, Hull Truck Theatre

John Harry Godber (born 18 May 1956) is known mainly for observational comedies. The ''Plays and Players Yearbook'' of 1993 rated him the third most performed playwright in the UK after

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and Alan Ayckbourn. He has been creative director of the

Theatre Royal Wakefield The Theatre Royal Wakefield is a theatre in Wakefield, England, which dates back to 1894. The theatre was originally known as the ''Theatre Royal and Opera House'' and dates back to the 1770s. Today's theatre was designed in 1894 as the Wakefiel ...

since 2011.

Biography

Godber, born in Upton, West Riding of Yorkshire, trained as a teacher of drama at

Bretton Hall College Bretton Hall College of Education was a higher education college in West Bretton in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It opened as a teacher training college in 1949 with awards from the University of Leeds. The college merged with the Univ ...

, which is affiliated to the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

, and became artistic director of

Hull Truck Theatre Company Hull Truck Theatre is a theatre in Kingston upon Hull, England, which presents drama productions, and also tours. In March 2022, the theatre's original premises on Coltman Street, Hull, was recognised by a blue plaque to coincide with the theat ...

in 1984. Before venturing into plays, he was head of drama at Minsthorpe High School, the school he had attended as a student, and then wrote for the TV series ''

Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Br ...

'' and ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running progra ...

''. While he was at Minsthorpe he taught future actors Adrian Hood (''Preston Front'', '' Up 'n' Under'' film) and Chris Walker (''Doctors'', '' Coronation Street''). A 1993 survey for ''Plays and Players'' magazine cited Godber as the third most performed playwright in the UK, after Shakespeare and Alan Ayckbourn. In 2005 he won two British Academy Children's Awards for ''Oddsquad'', written and directed on location in Hull and screened by BBC children's television. His plays are performed across the world, ''Bouncers'' (1977) being the most popular. In 2004 he became a visiting professor of Popular Theatre at

Liverpool Hope University , mottoeng=Hope to all who need it , established=1844 – Saint Katharine's College (as Warrington Training College)1856 – Notre Dame College (as Our Lady's Training College)1964 – Christ's College1979 – Liverpool Institute of Higher Edu ...

. He has also been professor of drama at

Hull University , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

. In 2011 John Godber became creative director at

and set up the John Godber Company as its resident company. Godber's earlier style utilises an interest in

German Expressionism German Expressionism () consisted of several related creative movements in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central ...

, an economic and physical style inspired by this and the inspiration of Bretton Hall Head of School (Drama) John Hodgson. His later and more naturalistic style reflects his growth as a member of the middle classes and an Ayckbournesque world of drama. He says that the "new Godber" is perhaps a writer like

Tim Firth Tim Firth (born 13 October 1964) is an English dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter. Life and career Firth was born in Frodsham, England. He spent much of his time at school writing songs and it was only a few weeks before going to Cambri ...

. Godber is married to the writer and actress Jane Thornton, also known as Jane Clifford and Jane Godber. The theatre facility at New College, Pontefract, a college near his birthplace, is named the John Godber Theatre. It opened in 2012.

Bibliography

*''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' (1976, adaptation) *''Bouncers'' (1977) *''Toys of Age'' (1979) *''Cramp'' (1982) *''Cry Wolf'' (1981) first professional production *''Guyonal Priority Area'' (1982) *''Happy Jack'' (1982) *''September in the Rain'' (1983) *''Young Hearts Run Free'' (1983) *''Bouncers (for Yorkshire actors)'' (1983) *'' Up 'n' Under'' (1984) *''A Christmas Carol'' (1984) adaptation *''Shakers'' (1985) co-written with Jane Thornton *''Up 'n' Under II'' (1985) *''Blood, Sweat and Tears'' (1986) *''Cramp – the Musical'' (1986) *'' Teechers'' (1987) *''Oliver Twist'' (1987) adaptation *''Salt of the Earth'' (1988) *''On the Piste'' (1990) *''Everyday Heroes'' (1990) *''Shakers Re-stirred'' (1991) *''Bouncers – 1990s Remix'' (1991) *''

Happy Families Happy Families is a traditional British card game usually with a specially made set of picture cards, featuring illustrations of fictional families of four, most often based on occupation types. The object of the game is to collect complete fami ...

'' (1991) *''April in Paris'' (1992) *''The Office Party'' (1992) *''Passion Killers'' (1994) *'' Dracula'' (1995) adaptation *''Lucky Sods (1995) *''Shakers the Musical'' (1996) *''Gym and Tonic'' (1996) *''Weekend Breaks'' (1997) *''It Started with a Kiss'' (1997) *''Hooray for Hollywood'' (1998) *''The Weed'' (1998) *''Perfect Pitch'' (1998) *''Ella Chapman'' (1998) *''Thick as a Brick'' (1999) *''Big Trouble in the Little Bedroom'' (1999) *''Seasons in the Sun'' (2000) *''On a Night Like This'' (2000) *''Our House'' (2001) *''Departures'' (2001) *''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whi ...

'' (2002) adaptation *''Young Hearts'' (2002) *''Men of the World'' (2002) *''Reunion'' (2002) *''Going Dutch'' (2005) *''Unleashed'' (2006) *''The Crown Prince'' (2007) *''Next Best Thing'' (2007) *''Sold'' (2007) *''Our House'' (2008) *''Funny Turns'' (2009) *''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...

'' (2010) adaptation *''The Debt Collectors'' (2011) *''The Sculptor's Surprise'' (2011) schools tour, co-written with Jane Thornton *''Lost and Found'' (2012) co-written with Jane Thornton *''Losing The Plot'' (2013) *''Muddy Cows'' (2013) *'' A Kind of Loving'' (2013) adaptation *''Shafted'' (2015) *''Scary Bikers'' (2018) *''This is Not Right'' (2019)

Filmography

*''

'' (1978) TV series *''

Toys of Age A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include Toy block, toy blocks, Board game, board games, and Doll, dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed sp ...

'' (1979) TV *''

'' (1982) TV series *'' The Rainbow Coloured Disco Dancer'' (1983) TV *'' Crown Court'' (1983) TV *'' The Ritz'' (1987) TV series *'' My Kingdom for a Horse'' (1991) TV series *''Chalkface'' (1991) TV series *'' Shakers'' (1993) TV *'' Bloomin' Marvellous'' (1997) TV series *'' Up 'n' Under'' (1998) *'' Bouncers!'' (2000) TV *''Thunder Road'' (2001) TV *'' Portas, Os'' (2005) TV *'' Make that happy'' (1997) TV

References

External links

John Godber official website
*
''Times'' Interview with Godber. ''Trade Secrets''. 16 December 2006
Accessed 15 April 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Godber, John Academics of Liverpool Hope University Alumni of Bretton Hall College Plays by John Godber English dramatists and playwrights English theatre directors Laurence Olivier Award winners Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Upton, West Yorkshire 1956 births Living people English male dramatists and playwrights