Hull Truck Theatre began in 1971 as a touring company travelling between gigs in a single van — hence the name — and grew into one of the most distinctive producing theatres in the north of England. It built a national reputation under playwright John Godber in the 1980s and 90s with plays like Bouncers and Up 'n' Under, written for and about working-class audiences. The company moved into its current purpose-built theatre on Ferensway in 2009.
Today the building hosts in-house productions, touring shows, and a programme of new writing developed locally. Two auditoriums — the larger 440-seat main house and a smaller flexible studio — sit above a busy ground-floor cafe-bar. The location, opposite St Stephen's shopping centre and a few minutes from Paragon Station, makes it easy to combine with a meal in town.