Interview - Andy Pearson: Fruits of endeavour that add to the cultural life of city

BACK in 1971 Mike Bradwell set up a theatre in an unfashionable East Riding city. The company operated out of the back of a truck,

in Hull.

Bradwell, whose creative juices were clearly being poured into creating the work for the company, rather than agonising over a name for it, decided to call the company Hull Truck.

Nearly four decades later, Bradwell, a name now synonymous with British theatre, will return to Hull to help launch a similarly fledgling theatre experiment, with a similarly straight-forward name.

The new theatre Bradwell will launch is based in the old fruit market of Hull. The men behind the venture wasted little imagination in naming the venue – Fruit.

As with most things in Hull, while the name might seem no-nonsense, this is about substance over style.

Fruit will be the home of what is hoped will become a significant addition to the cultural scene of Hull.

While the city regularly appears in lists of worst places to live, its alliterative proximity to the word hell somewhat unfortunate, the city constantly punches above its weight culturally.

Philip Larkin, Tom Courtenay, Barrie Rutter, Alan Plater, John Godber and Hull Truck all have made a home, at one time or another, in the city.

A new name might soon be added to that roll call.

The area where the Old Fruit Market used to exist, down by the Marina, is one of the less salubrious areas of the city.

Andrew Pearson, artistic director of theatre company Ensemble 52, hopes to change all that.

"Back in the Nineties there were pubs and clubs all over the area down there," says Pearson.

"But Hull has a habit of seeing areas of the city falling in and out of fashion and the area down by the Marina fell out of fashion and has really not been used since."

Hull Forward took charge of the area in recent years and attracted developers, but with the economic downturn, those developers pulled out, leaving the space to be reclaimed by those with a vision for Hull.

Pearson has high hopes for the area.

"New York has the old meat packing district and there are similar areas in Amsterdam, we're hoping to create something similar down here," says Pearson.

While Pearson is the creative engine behind Fruit, David Mayes, a joint owner of the city's popular Welly Club, is the commercial driver.

Ensemble 52 will make its home in Fruit. "It's a really adaptable space," says Pearson.

"All that's in there at the minute is a bar and toilets, so it's a space that we can do a lot with."

While it opens officially on Thursday as a theatre space, Fruit will also play host to a wealth of cultural offerings.

"We're planning on having film nights, comedy, art exhibitions, live music, even market days," says Pearson.

"It's the thing that's been missing for Hull. It's great that Hull Truck have their new venue, but we need a space in the city for the artists who are breaking through or are at the start of their careers.

"Hopefully we'll be a space for those people."

Fruit opens officially on Thursday with one such production. Richard Vergette's play As we Forgive Them, directed by Pearson, premiered at the Manchester 24:7 Festival last year.

It won three major awards including a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award, played at the Bolton Octagon and Young Vic in London, was recorded for download through the Independent newspaper and following

a run at Studio Salford earlier this year Ensemble 52 was asked to become an in house company at the successful Manchester Fringe venue.

Pearson says: "It is great being affiliated with the venue in Manchester, but we have been looking for a permanent home and Fruit is the perfect place."

Following its performance at Fruit, the play will then transfer to The Tobacco Factory in Bristol.

Then later in the month Something Hidden by Hull writer David Pattinson will be produced at the venue, as part of Larkin 25.

The play is an irreverent look at the celebrated Hull poet.

"There is a lot of creativity in Hull," says Pearson.

"Now there is a place for that to flourish."

As We Forgive Them, Fruit, September 2 to 5. Something Hidden, September 23 to 26. Info/tickets on www.fruitspace.co.uk