We talk to Comedian/Presenter Jack Rooke about being on the radio and on the road and why he was filming in Chorleywood recently
Jack Rooke is a performer to be applauded… he takes taboo subject death and encourages people to talk about grief in a positive way. All through comedy
Rooke has been inviting audiences to the weird and wonderful world of bereavement for the last three years. This month he takes his flagship comedy theatre show Good Grief on the road.
“At 15 my father passed away suddenly to cancer. I went from having a lovely Chorleywood childhood to comfort eating on the sofa in my pants watching Loose Women. People brought lots of lasagnes. I isolated myself but have since realised we shouldn’t be awkward about death. Humour breaks down barriers and starts conversations. In Britain we have over 200 euphemisms for the word from passed away to six foot under.”
So has anything changed for the tour?
“My hair is shorter and my patience is shorter…Seriously, I’m excited because I can rework the material into a more grown up version – and I can cultivate Arts Centres’ audiences. The tour is being run by Soho Theatre who have produced shows like Fleabag, and Phil Porter’s Blink. I’m being toured alongside established artists – performance provocateur Ursula Martinez and Irish Drag Queen Panti Bliss.”
Spring is a big season for Jack. The Radio 4 adaptation of Good Grief airs on 16th and a BBC 3 comedy mental health documentary series about happiness he’s been working on airs in April
“ They’ve had me in a dress, swimming in lakes, it’s been mad. We filmed around Chorleywood, some at Rootz and driving around in Paul Jones’s black cab. I’m also hosting stages at Camp Bestival and Bestival in the summer.”
That’s it then?
“ Well, there’s a sit com in development, two other script commissions and another Soho Theatre project called Happy Hour that goes to EdFringe in August. After this month everything pans out and calms down.”
Until the festival season starts .
Listen to Jack Rooke’s Good Grief on BBC Comedy, Radio 4, Thurs 16 March, 11pm
Jack Rooke’s Good Grief Live UK Tour March – June, 17 venues London Soho Theatre, W1 on Mon 13 June – Sat 17 June £12.50, www.sohotheatre.com
———————————————————————-
COMEDY ON AIR…Jack recommends
Fleabag, BBC3, “quite dark and bold “
This Country, BBC3, “Set in rural England with two louts as central characters. Brilliant.”
Deborah Frances White rolls the dice , Radio 4 “Real life stories – she talks a lot about identity.”