The Hypocrite

April 1642. Sir John Hotham, Governor of Hull, Member for Beverley and owner of most of East Yorkshire is charged by Parliament to secure the arsenal at Hull and deny entry to King Charles I.

If only it were that simple. With a Royalist siege outside the city walls and the rebellion of the mob within, Civil War seems inevitable and losing his head more than probable. And that’s to say nothing of his problems at home – a lovesick daughter, a ghost obsessed with the chinaware, sexually arousing furniture and a wife intent on escape.

We join Sir John on the worst day of his life, as he is caught between two choices: Honour or Advantage.

The Hypocrite was co-produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hull Truck Theatre and Hull UK City of Culture 2017. It was first performed at Hull Truck Theatre on 24 February 2017. The production transferred to the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on 31 March 2017.