Hull Blokes
Encyclopedia
The Hull Blokes are a writing collective based in Kingston upon Hull
, East Riding of Yorkshire
, in the North East of England. They write and perform comedy and drama work, both for the stage and film.
to advertise for men to join a series of writing workshops funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation.
The project was actually part of the BBC
’s Northern Exposure ‘Writing in the Margins’ initiative, spearheaded by the Corporation’s then creative director of new writing, Kate Rowland. Adams led the workshops for a year with exercises, discussions and readings, and it was she who coined the group’s title. The term ‘Blokes’ was certainly being used by the time the group featured in Ariel in December 2002. In April 2003, the focus of the project – King of the Road, a six-part serial telling of the comings and goings of a local (fictional) taxi firm – received its first public reading in the Haworth Arms on Hull’s Beverley Road.
Gill Adams’ contract with the BBC ended in the same month. The Blokes, however, had achieved a level of self-determination and success and decided to continue. They applied for and were awarded City Arts funding which enabled them to take part in Humber Mouth, the annual Hull Literature Festival. Their first ‘independent’ show was Counter Act, an evening of eight short plays performed at the Dorchester Hotel, Hull, on 13 November 2003. The group has continued, in subsequent years, to make regular contributions to Humber Mouth.
King of the Road was eventually broadcast on BBC Radio Humberside
in March 2004.
.
Some of the writers are also performers and appear in their own and others’ pieces. Other personnel have been recruited for particular qualities or talents, and the need became apparent for a title which would include the whole company. Following the show of the same name, the term ‘Northern Conspiracy’ has been used informally since 2005 to refer to associates of the group whose contribution is unwritten but nevertheless crucial.
The Blokes are supported by the Arts Council
, who have provided funding for the purchase of equipment used in the recording and projection of filmed pieces. The application necessitated the formalisation of the group’s affairs, and a written constitution was adopted in February 2006.
Play-ola, 1 July 2004, Dorchester Hotel
Before the Fringe, 20–21 January 2005, The Ringside
Never Mind The Ballcocks, 10 March 2005, The Ringside
David Van Day’s Hull Blokes Comedy Variety Show, 12 May 2005, The Ringside
Tickling the Dragon’s Tail, 22–23 June 2005, Dorchester Hotel
Northern Conspiracy, 11–13 November 2005, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Love, 17–19 February 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Hull Blokes On Air, 23–25 June 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
A Night of Comedy, Music, Films and Snowmen, 1–3 December 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Tossa’s in Spain, 22–24 June 2007, Northern Academy of Performing Arts.
Hull Blokes Comedy Sketch Show, 2–4 November 2007, Northern Academy of Performing Arts.
Confessions, 1–2 November 2008, The Haworth.
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, in the North East of England. They write and perform comedy and drama work, both for the stage and film.
History
In May 2002, Gill Adams, a Hull-born playwright, used her column in the Hull Daily MailHull Daily Mail
The Hull Daily Mail is the local daily newspaper for Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire and is published along with the free weekly, Hull Advertiser. There used to be a weekly sports paper, the SportsMail, but this folded in 2006...
to advertise for men to join a series of writing workshops funded by the Gulbenkian Foundation.
The project was actually part of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
’s Northern Exposure ‘Writing in the Margins’ initiative, spearheaded by the Corporation’s then creative director of new writing, Kate Rowland. Adams led the workshops for a year with exercises, discussions and readings, and it was she who coined the group’s title. The term ‘Blokes’ was certainly being used by the time the group featured in Ariel in December 2002. In April 2003, the focus of the project – King of the Road, a six-part serial telling of the comings and goings of a local (fictional) taxi firm – received its first public reading in the Haworth Arms on Hull’s Beverley Road.
Gill Adams’ contract with the BBC ended in the same month. The Blokes, however, had achieved a level of self-determination and success and decided to continue. They applied for and were awarded City Arts funding which enabled them to take part in Humber Mouth, the annual Hull Literature Festival. Their first ‘independent’ show was Counter Act, an evening of eight short plays performed at the Dorchester Hotel, Hull, on 13 November 2003. The group has continued, in subsequent years, to make regular contributions to Humber Mouth.
King of the Road was eventually broadcast on BBC Radio Humberside
BBC Radio Humberside
BBC Radio Humberside is a BBC Local Radio service covering the area of the former English county of Humberside, which was returned to North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire the East Riding of Yorkshire and the City of Kingston upon Hull on 1 April 1996....
in March 2004.
Present day
The Hull Blokes have continued to write and present comedy, drama and monologues not only for Humber Mouth but also as self-sufficient, self-supporting productions. Since 2005 their live performances have been staged at the Northern Academy of Performing Arts in Hull, and clips of their work, comprising extracts from the stage shows and stand-alone short films, have been made available on the internetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
Some of the writers are also performers and appear in their own and others’ pieces. Other personnel have been recruited for particular qualities or talents, and the need became apparent for a title which would include the whole company. Following the show of the same name, the term ‘Northern Conspiracy’ has been used informally since 2005 to refer to associates of the group whose contribution is unwritten but nevertheless crucial.
The Blokes are supported by the Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
, who have provided funding for the purchase of equipment used in the recording and projection of filmed pieces. The application necessitated the formalisation of the group’s affairs, and a written constitution was adopted in February 2006.
Current members
The Current members are: John Allbones, Wayne Dewsbury, Andy Hampel, Steve Kerry, Gus Wilson, Sean Wilson and Steve 'Kippa' Wilson. The Wilsons are not related.Live shows to date
Counter Act, 13 November 2003, Dorchester HotelPlay-ola, 1 July 2004, Dorchester Hotel
Before the Fringe, 20–21 January 2005, The Ringside
Never Mind The Ballcocks, 10 March 2005, The Ringside
David Van Day’s Hull Blokes Comedy Variety Show, 12 May 2005, The Ringside
Tickling the Dragon’s Tail, 22–23 June 2005, Dorchester Hotel
Northern Conspiracy, 11–13 November 2005, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Love, 17–19 February 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Hull Blokes On Air, 23–25 June 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
A Night of Comedy, Music, Films and Snowmen, 1–3 December 2006, Northern Academy of Performing Arts
Tossa’s in Spain, 22–24 June 2007, Northern Academy of Performing Arts.
Hull Blokes Comedy Sketch Show, 2–4 November 2007, Northern Academy of Performing Arts.
Confessions, 1–2 November 2008, The Haworth.