Spiders

Spiders runs at the Godber Studio, Hull Truck Theatre from Thursday 28 January to Saturday 13 February 2027. It's the debut play of Hull-born writer Martha Godber, who also stars as Meg, with Chloe McDonald playing Gabi. Tom Saunders directs. The show first appeared as a rehearsed reading at London's Bush Theatre in 2024, so this is its first full run.

Godber wrote the play during lockdown, when she started writing down her memories of nights out at Spiders Nightclub, an alternative venue on Cleveland Street that opened in 1979 and is still run by the same people. It bills itself as 'Hull's original indie-vidual nightclub', known for serving pangalactic gargle blaster cocktails alongside toasted crumpets and oven chips. Godber describes the play as a coming-of-age story about female friendship and young Northern women, with a darker side. There's a family connection to the venue too: her father, John Godber, was artistic director of Hull Truck Theatre for 26 years, from 1984.

Godber herself is a Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts graduate and founder of The Godber Theatre Foundation. The production is recommended for ages 14+, and there will be BSL interpretation and relaxed performances throughout the run.

Tickets are £15 each, with a 20p concession. The run includes late-night performances at 9pm and matinees at 2pm, so you can catch it in the afternoon or later in the evening.