Theatre and TV favourites take centre stage at Humber Business Week programme launch
SPEAKERS: Stephen Tompkinson, left, and Adrian Hood
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Two stars of TV and the theatre will take to the stage to chat with a corporate crowd as the venue for the Yorkshire premiere of their latest comedy-drama hosts the programme launch of a regional festival of business.
Stephen Tompkinson and Adrian Hood will break from rehearsals for To Have and To Hold at Hull Truck Theatre to join the programme launch for Humber Business Week 2025.
The pair will sit down with Mark Babych, the theatre’s artistic director, on Thursday, April 10 to talk about the play which is written by renowned Yorkshire playwright Richard Bean and is set in the East Yorkshire village of Wetwang.
In addition, they can expect to field questions about the economic impact of theatre and culture, possible alternative professions to their acting careers, which business figures they might like to play, and how modern technology has influenced acting.
Pat Coyle, chair of Humber Business Week, said: “Hull Truck Theatre very generously offered some time ago to host our programme launch, and we were delighted when they told us that two such well-known actors would be able to take centre stage!
“We were already heading for a big turnout from the regional business community, and we’re now expecting a full house and a really fun event. I’m certainly looking forward to hearing Stephen, Adrian and Mark talk about rehearsals for the play and their experience of the world of business.”
To Have and To Hold will run from Thursday, May 1 until Saturday, May 24 and is billed as a poignant and bittersweet comedy-drama. Paul Wilcox and Ian Bartholomew play a couple who have been married 60 years and “have perfected the fine art of bickering”.
Stephen Tompkinson plays the part of their son, a writer. Rebecca Johnson introduces a business angle by playing the daughter, who is an entrepreneur. Adrian Hood, a Hull Truck Theatre favourite who first appeared at the venue in 1988, is ‘Rhubarb Eddie’, a local wheeler-dealer and friend of the family.
The play premiered in London’s West End at The Hampstead Theatre in October and November 2023 and has been newly cast for its Yorkshire premiere. Tickets are available from the Hull Truck Theatre website at https://www.hulltruck.co.uk/
The Humber Business Week programme launch will reveal some of the main events which have already been confirmed for the festival, which spans both banks of the Humber and is in its 21st year.
Biz Week itself will take in venues across the region from Monday, June 2 until Friday, June 6 and events can be added to the official schedule until Friday, May 23 via the website at https://humberbusinessweek.co.uk/
Pat, who is Wilkin Chapman Rollits’ marketing and business development consultant by day, said: “We’re getting a lot of interest already in the traditional, opening day double-header at the MKM Stadium with the Bondholder breakfast briefing followed by the Humber Business Week lunch.
“At Wilkin Chapman Rollits we’ll be running an event on Wednesday afternoon with Hull Truck Theatre in the studio, exploring the issues around unconscious bias in the workplace. Many more events are exploring the issues around unconscious bias in the workplace. Many more events are promised from stakeholders including Andrew Jackson Solicitors, East Riding Council, The University of Hull and the Business Growth Skills Hub.
“Hull City Council will again hold a business breakfast which should be of interest to anyone involved with business in and around the city. The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Expo and HullBID will soon announce the speakers for its Inspiring People dinner, which is another highlight of Biz Week.
“The Business Day at Bridlington Spa will bring down the curtain on Biz Week itself with Piers Morgan taking the stage and the organisers will be toasting our success from the outset by sponsoring the drinks for our big reveal at Hull Truck Theatre.”
The official Humber Business Week programme launch will take place at Hull Truck Theatre from 5pm until 6.30pm on Thursday, April 10. To register click here.