BAFTA-winning writer and performer Jack Rooke, creator of Channel 4 and Hulu’s critically acclaimed comedy-drama Big Boys, brings his debut comedy-theatre show Good Grief back to the stage for a special retrospective tour, ten years after the show first headed to the Edinburgh Fringe. Returning to Edinburgh on 27th August for three nights only, the show will then head across the UK, including a date in London which is yet to be announced but will be Jack’s biggest ever venue to date, before concluding in Liverpool on 22nd October. Tickets are on sale via a pre-sale on Thursday with general on sale on Friday 13th March via www.berksnest.com/jack-rooke.
Part revival, part reflection, Good Grief: a decade retrospective of capitalising on my dead dad to varied levels of failure and success revisits the original show – co-written with Jack’s then-80-year-old Nan Sicely – alongside present-day musings & brand new writing on grief, ambition, class, and the strange journey from aspiring spoken-word artist to BAFTA-winning television writer. Expect a candid and funny exploration of losing a parent young, accidentally turning that grief into a career, the complicated reality of “making it” in television, and a call-to-arms for arts funding and infrastructure in a current day landscape that is far less open to working class artists than a decade ago.
In revisiting Good Grief, Jack returns to the work he made that started it all, when he was writing purely for himself and before the interference of what Jack affectionately calls “telly wankers”, whilst also exploring the guilt of now possibly becoming one himself. Directed by Gabriel Bisset-Smith, the show remains a heartfelt and deeply funny look at loss, family and growing up – with a content warning that it may include discussions of grief, suicide, and Geri leaving the Spice Girls in May 1998.
On revisiting the show a decade later, Jack Rooke said: “I feel immensely excited and very lucky to be bringing back my debut show that part-inspired Big Boys and potter it round the UK. Good Grief was a show purely made from the want to make something funny about grief, at a time where there was less discussion about mental health but seemingly many more arts access opportunities. I’m excited to bring the show back for new audiences, poke fun at my current self and try to build on the conversation about how we ensure people from all backgrounds can afford a career in the arts. I promise it won't be too preachy. It miiight be very cringe."
The original show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before transferring to Soho Theatre, earning praise for its honest, heartfelt and humorous take on grief. A decade on, this special retrospective revisits the piece that started it all while reflecting on everything that’s happened since.
Jack Rooke is a BAFTA-winning writer, performer and presenter from Watford, best known as the creator, writer and narrator of the acclaimed comedy-drama Big Boys. Adapted from his Edinburgh Fringe shows Good Grief and Happy Hour, the series earned multiple BAFTA nominations before Jack won Best Comedy Writer at the BAFTA Craft Awards, alongside the Comedy Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards. The third and final series aired to critical acclaim in 2025.
Alongside his television work, Jack has created several successful live shows including Happy Hour and Love Letters, both of which enjoyed runs at Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe. His writing has also led to the book Cheer The F**k Up (Penguin/Ebury), a part-memoir and part-mental health guide.
LISTINGS
27.08.26 EDINBURGH MCEWAN HALL
28.08.26 EDINBURGH MCEWAN HALL
29.08.26 EDINBURGH MCEWAN HALL
03.09.26 OXFORD THE NORTH WALL ARTS CENTRE
04.09.26 SALFORD THE LOWRY
05.09.26 SALFORD THE LOWRY
10.09.26 BRISTOL OLD VIC
14.09.26 NORWICH PLAYHOUSE
16.09.26 LEEDS CITY VARIETIES
30.09.26 GLASGOW ÒRAN MÓR
01.10.26 NEWCASTLE NORTHERN STAGE
13.10.26 BRIGHTON & HOVE THE OLD MARKET
14.10.26 BRIGHTON & HOVE THE OLD MARKET
22.10.26 LIVERPOOL EPSTEIN THEATRE
Picture credit: Matt Stronge
