Experimental theatre director who founded the aggressively countercultural Hull Truck company No single adjective is sufficient to describe the tumultuous impossible talent of the director Mike Bradwell The success of the Hull Truck Theatre company that he founded in 1971 led to the great success of Hull’s year as the European city of culture in 2017 His adopted home theatre in London was the Bush a small room above a bustling Shepherd’s Bush pub where he continued an extraordinary powerhouse operation in British playwriting succeeding Dominic Dromgoole as artistic director from 1996 to 2007 The playwright David Edgar averred that Bradwell was “a giant of the alternative theatre some of us were privileged to grow up in” with whom he trained on the director’s course at the East 15 Acting School said that “his unique achievement in creating ‘devised plays’ was to integrate his own songs into the action in a delightfully idiosyncratic way” As Bradwell explained in an article marking Hull Truck’s 50th anniversary he moved to Hull in 1971 because it was the most unlikely place in the world to start an experimental theatre company – “plus rents were cheap and social security were unlikely to find us any proper jobs I was 23 and I believed that theatre could change the world sexy plays about people you didn’t see in plays Combative confrontation – as I knew only too well as a critic and contemporary of his – was second nature to Bradwell. He set up shop in Hull in a cold, damp squat, 71 Coltman Street, where his improvisations on sex, drugs and rock’n’roll in a communal living and rehearsal place were celebrated in a 2017 play by Richard Bean There is now a blue plaque on the house once occupied by feral cats and long-haired Hull Truck was a lifestyle choice of community engagement One scene from the next show, Bridget’s House, in 1976, caused a furore when a character played by Rachel Bell observed that most men wouldn’t know what a clitoris was if it jumped up and bit them on the leg. By now they were on a roll. They played the Bush in London, and Kenneth Tynan, no less, enthused about both the play and Bell. “The bargain of real, proper theatre,” said Bradwell, “is when a group of human beings on stage get together with a group of human beings in the audience to fearlessly celebrate their human being-ness.” Read moreHe liked to say he was born in a pigsty near Doncaster – on a pig farm owned by his father’s family was a potato and vegetable farmer in the village of Epworth worked in the box office at the Darlington civic theatre After an unhappy time as a boarder at Canford school in Dorset (whose alumni include the artist and film director Derek Jarman and the novelist Alan Hollinghurst) he joined the Scunthorpe Youth theatre in 1966 and took a holiday job – his first professional appointment – as a stagehand on a pantomime at the Theatre Royal was also in the youth theatre; she went on to run the Anvil Arts centre in Basingstoke Bradwell belongs to the tradition of rough-house contemporary theatre that stretches from the Elizabethans and Jacobeans through Joan Littlewood and Ken Campbell bypassing the monolithic National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company Hull Truck relaxed its aggressive counterculture default setting – probably not a good thing – when they settled in 1983 in a delightful 150-seater converted church hall, the Spring Street theatre, under the artistic directorship of the playwright John Godber (who riled Bradwell, the bolshie beatnik, when, on the Terry Wogan TV show he said he wanted to do theatre his mum and dad would like) The company became even more respectable when they moved into a £15m new home in Ferensway Hull city council and the European regional development fund The venue remains a thriving and going concern Robert Cushman in the Observer saluted his 10 years there as “the richest sharpest and funniest work in the British theatre” when working as dialogue coach on Campbell’s sensational 24-hour epic at the ICA in the Mall; she was dancing to Ravel’s Bolero and he directed two fascinating plays of hers about the forgotten wives of famous figures the unseen suicidal wife of the flirtatious battery commander in Chekhov’s Three Sisters To continue reading this article you must be logged in Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk Richard Jordan is an award-winning UK and international theatre producer He has been a regular contributor to The Stage since 2005 Read Richard's latest column for The Stage every Thursday Invest in The Stage today with a subscription starting at just £7.99 © Copyright The Stage Media Company Limited 2025 The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response They were only unsuccessful in Westlands, Thistleberry and Keele where Simon Tagg retained its seats. Across Staffordshire, Reform UK has won 24 of the 30 seats delared overnight. It means Reform UK need just eight more seats to gain overall control of the county council. The remaining 32 seats - across Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Stafford, and the Staffordshire Moorlands - will be declared later today. The overall Staffordshire County Council result is expected to be announced on Friday afternoon. A total of 298 candidates are fighting it out for the 62 seats. The ruling Conservative group won a landslide victory in the last Staffordshire County Council elections in 2021. It currently holds 53 of the 62 seats on the county council. The opposition Labour group has four councillors, with five independents. This election is being contested along new boundaries, following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission. Conservative, Labour and Reform UK candidates will contest every seat, with the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, UKIP and independents also represented. This is a live blog. For the very latest reaction and analysis follow our live blog below. Comments04:05Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won Newcastle South. Comments04:04Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won Bradwell & Porthill. Comments04:02Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won Kidsgrove. Comments03:59Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won Audley and Chesterton. Comments03:58Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won May Bank & Wolstanton. Comments03:56Rob AndrewsAnother Reform UK victoryReform UK have won Talke & Red Street. Comments03:50Rob AndrewsThe Newcastle Rural resultHere's how Reform UK won Newcastle Rural. For the full story, click here. Comments03:21Rob AndrewsReform UK win Newcastle RuralBig win for Reform UK. Comments03:18Rob AndrewsSimon Tagg has retained his seatSimon Tagg is back for a fifth term. For the full story, click here. Comments23:43Rob AndrewsVerification now underwayThe verification of the votes is now underway Milton Keynes City Council has unveiled a newly improved park in New Bradwell which has been transformed into an Alice in Wonderland themed play area.  A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Saturday 15 February and officially opened by Interim Cabinet Member for the Public Realm Cllr Akash Nayee and The Mayor of Milton Keynes Items in the play area are themed around elements of Lewis Carroll’s much loved 1865 children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland such as the Queen of Hearts The New Bradwell Park is one of the first play areas to benefit from a £250,000 programme of investment to enhance A city-wide Play Area Action Plan was approved in December 2024.  which is equivalent to one play area for every 255 children and is one of the highest levels in the country while Milton Keynes is famous for its roundabouts it actually has almost twice as many children’s play roundabouts than it does roundabouts on roads.  Milton Keynes City Council worked in partnership with New Bradwell Parish Council to deliver the improved play area after feedback from residents It joint funded the new park with the FCC Community Action Fund a national landfill charity supports funds local initiatives The Bradwell Episcopal Area consists of nine deaneries covering south and mid Essex to Maldon and the Dengie peninsula and on to Bradwell as well as the area stretching along the north of the Thames Estuary from the Dartford Crossing to Southend The Right Reverand Adam Atkinson and two Archdeacons – The Archdeacon of Chelmsford The Venerable Jonathan Croucher and the Archdeacon of Southend Our Bishops and Archdeacons work with an Area Team made up of Area Deans South and Mid Essex is an area of great diversity and contrast – Southend with the longest pier in the country; Basildon where the greatest piece of civic architecture is the noteworthy church bell tower and St Peter on the Wall in Bradwell built by Cedd in 654 when he came to bring the Gospel to the East Saxons Send an Email Download photo Send an Email Download photo Send an Email Download photo Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Find out more about Belinda Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Find out more about Andy Send an Email Send an Email Send an Email Acting Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich has announced that the Rev’d Canon Samantha Brazier-Gibbs will be the next Archdeacon of Ipswich and Director of Inspiring Ipswich for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich A rural church nestled in the Essex countryside has overcome the challenges of not having broadband The Venerable Dr Sue Lucas has been installed as the new Archdeacon of Southend Bishop Guli has announced that the next Area Dean of Chelmsford will be the Rev'd Simon Pearce 70 contactless giving devices were provided by the National Church to parishes across the diocese In the first three months of receiving their devices parishes have collectively raised over £30,000 by providing their congregation and visitors with the ability to donate using credit and debit cards The Revd Dr Sue Lucas has been appointed as the next Archdeacon of Southend who went on to run the Half Moon theatre in Alie Street on Joan Littlewood’s production of The Marie Lloyd Story at the Theatre Royal Stratford East but didn’t get to talk to Mike until decades later “Well fuck off and get on with it,” said Joan while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used For more information visit our Cookie Policy(Opens in a new window)External Link Icon MyAccount and some online forms may be unavailable on Tuesday 7 May 2025 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council has secured and received section 106 funding – totalling £492,500 – specifically for open space improvements at Bradwell Dingle as part of the planning permission process for a nearby residential development on land off Knype Way Bradwell Dingle currently contains a playground a multi-use games area and space to play football Many of these facilities were last updated more than a decade ago with a skate park having to be removed in recent years for safety reasons A recent consultation with stakeholders shows that 97 per cent of consultees agree that the entire site should be upgraded with 87 per cent supporting improvements to the existing facilities – including the playground multi-use games area and kick-about section – as well as provision for skateboarding/wheeled sports outdoor gym equipment and the creation of a second football area these preliminary discussions will be developed into more detailed plans for further consultation with residents site visitors and potential users –  specifically including younger people – before the delivery phase Cabinet member for sustainable environment said: “It’s great news that the council has been able to secure a significant level of funding to improve the community and social infrastructure in Bradwell following the new development off Knype Way “We want our communities to be healthy The council provides an increasingly good suite of facilities so that residents of all ages can enjoy an active and fulfilling experience in the borough The existing set-up at Bradwell Dingle is quite dated so this is an exciting opportunity to deliver modern facilities that better suit the needs of local residents hopefully making a big difference to their lives “It’s a legal requirement of the section 106 agreement that the funds are used to improve Bradwell Dingle Preparations are well underway: we’re looking forward to the possibility of working closely with residents of all ages to ensure that they have a say in the proposed facilities and providing a scheme that caters for as wide a range of their needs as possible.” The same planning agreement requires the developer to pay a further sum of money towards the maintenance of the new facilities © 2025 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council