Jack Rooke: Good Grief at Pontio
Jack Rooke鈥檚 critically acclaimed debut hour Good Grief kicks off Soho Theatre鈥檚 2017 touring programme as they continue to bring the best work from London鈥檚 most vibrant venue for new theatre, comedy and cabaret to the rest of the UK. The tour will visit Pontio 黑料不打烊鈥檚 theatre studio on 29 April at 7.30pm.
Having developed the show through Soho Young Company (Soho Theatre鈥檚 education programme aimed at discovering and nurturing new writers and artists), Jack took Good Grief to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2015 where it received an array of four and five star reviews and a mention in The New York Times鈥� highlights of the Edinburgh Festival. The sell out hit continued its success as part of Soho Theatre鈥檚 inaugural Soho Rising Season last year after playing at Shoreditch Town Hall, Aldeburgh Poetry Festival and Bestival.
鈥淕ood Grief kicks off an exciting time for us at Soho Theatre as we step up our touring this year. Working with our partners we are also touring Ursula Martinez鈥檚 Free Admission & Panti鈥檚 High Heels in Low Places as we take the best of our work to new audiences up and down the country.鈥� Sarah Dodd, Soho Theatre鈥檚 Touring Producer.
Good Grief blends comedy, storytelling and film to explore how we treat the bereaved whilst challenging proposed welfare cuts for grieving families and celebrating finding happiness after tragedy. With a coffin full of sympathy snacks, Rooke and his Nan invite audiences to the happiest town in Britain where Dad鈥檚 dead and the only thing to eat is lasagna.
鈥淣obody but Rooke could have told his story with such unflinching humour鈥� 鈽呪槄鈽呪槄鈽� Broadway Baby
Rooke was commissioned by BBC Comedy to adapt Good Grief for BBC Radio 4 which aired mid-March and has made his debut TV documentary series Happy Man for BBC Three as part of a mental health season this spring. He is the resident on-air expert in mental health and bereavement for BBC Radio 1, frequently heard on Radio 1鈥檚 Surgery and featured on documentaries like 鈥楻1鈥檚 Guide to Happiness鈥� and Clara Amfo鈥檚 鈥楻unning With Grief鈥�. He has written for the Independent, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, The Guardian and the CALMzine, of which he was Deputy Editor from 2013-2015 after being an ambassador of CALM.
鈥淸Jack Rooke] has a punchy sense of humour and an anarchic, naughty spring in his step.鈥� Gemma Cairney
He also hosts the Guardian Literary Institute at Camp Bestival as well as The Arts Amphitheatre at Bestival and has performed at Soho Theatre, The Royal Court, The Roundhouse, Trafalgar Studios, Latitude and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2015, Jack was one of Gemma Cairney鈥檚 Cultural Highlights and Good Grief was nominated for the Total Theatre Award for Best Show by an Emerging Artist in Edinburgh.
鈥淕ood Grief started in my Nan's council flat over some sweet and sour chicken balls and has bizarrely achieved any dream I had for it. As a comedy-documentary-theatre show its been commissioned by BBC Comedy, spawned a BBC Three documentary series (Happy Man), featured in The New York Times fringe highlights and now I'm chuffed it's touring nationally with Soho Theatre. I hope this encourages people to eat sweet and sour chicken balls and chat with their Nan more often.鈥� Jack Rooke
SOHO THEATRE AND JACK ROOKE PRESENT
JACK ROOKE: GOOD GRIEF
黑料不打烊, Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre Studio, Sat 29 Apr, 7.30pm
Tickets: or 01248 38 28 28 or call in at the centre.
Publication date: 30 March 2017