Dedication to Drama!

One of the great things about the AQA AS Drama course is that the students get to choose the theatrical practitioner that most inspires them and to attempt their style in a production. In October my year 12 class decided that they would like to work with the ideas of John Godber. Now John Godber is one of our greatest living practitioners and playwrights, having written such great plays as "Up and Under". "Bouncers" "Teechers" and " Shakers" his work is performed all over the world and invariably  the tickets sell out quickly as his work is not only very funny but also accessible to all. I very much wanted them to see work that he had directed himself as the brief is to study his work as a practitioner not a playwright. Therefore it would be a huge advantage to see his work not just read about it . Well I tried, there was a production of "Teechers " on tour and the nearest place to Ashford was Chichester " sorry we are completely sold out"!

Well giving up is not in my nature and so I called Godber's theatre Hull Truck and enquired about tickets there. I managed to get some very cheap seats, great! The only problem was it was in Hull! I spoke to my class and they were totally Thrilled "Road Trip" was the collective cry. And so on January 8^th Mrs Millbery and four intrepid Drama students set off for the wilds of Yorkshire. We stopped off on the A1 for lunch, in an American Diner of all places! Then off to the Humber Bridge, possibly one of the more terrifying experiences in my life! And then into Hull where, despite the attempted sabotage by my sat nav ( I ignored it the whole way to Hull and arrived safe , well and quickly, there is a lesson to be learnt there...read the map and ignore the sat nav!) we checked in at the Holiday inn Express which was next door ( Literally ) to the Theatre. Hull truck began in the 1970s and was originally a mobile theatre company working out of the back of, yes you guessed it, a truck. It was then resident for 25 years in an old Methodist Church and finally it moved last year into a purpose built Theatre right in the centre of Hull. We had a lovely meal in the Theatre and then ambled in to watch " The Office Party" The whole thing was excellent and the girls thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it, thank goodness 350 miles is a long way to go to be disappointed! After the show which gave them all food for thought as regards the work of their chosen practitioner and his consummate skill as a creator of hilarious Theatre! We went back to our cosy hotel for the night. In the morning the girls managed to rise by 8 ( even Anna) and then we went downstairs where they proceeded to eat their body weight in breakfast goods!

The journey home was superb, clear roads and clear skies and I even grew to quite like the strange gearstick on the Schools Fiat Multipla! We even arrived home in time for Sunday lunch!

A great time was had by all and would I drive a 700 mile round trip again to see a play? Yes of course I would!