Life of poet Maurice Rutherford to be celebrated in theatre event
FONDLY REMEMBERED: Maurice Rutherford, known as ‘The Bard of Albert Avenue’
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
The life of Hull poet Maurice Rutherford is to be celebrated in an event at Hull Truck Theatre this spring.
Billed as “an evening of poetry, music, laughter and song”, it will take place at Hull Truck Theatre on Saturday, May 9.
The event is being curated by Hull-born actor, writer and theatre director Barrie Rutter alongside Maurice’s daughter Jeannie and son-in-law Phil Curry – who will each give their own personal contributions.
Titled This Day Dawning, the title of one of Rutherford’s most popular volumes of poetry, the event will also include feature folk singer Eliza Carthy, poets Dean Wilson and Chris Sewart, singer-songwriter Serious Child (Alan Young) and former city MP Alan Johnson, now Chancellor of the University of Hull.
Jeannie said: “We wanted this show to be a joyful event with poetry, music, stories and laughter rather than an ‘in-memoriam’ thing. It’s what he would have wanted too – although knowing him, coming from Yorkshire, he would never have blown his own trumpet. So now we’re doing it for him.”
Dubbed “The Bard of Albert Avenue”, Rutherford died last October aged 103.
He was born in Albert Avenue on September 28, 1922, the son of a salt cod curer’s manager, about which he would later write in the poems Bacalao and The Cycle.
Rutherford’s volumes of poetry include Slipping the Tugs (1982), After the Parade (1989) and Flip Side to Larkin (2012), a good-natured parody of his contemporary, Philip Larkin. A comprehensive collection of new and selected poems, And Saturday is Christmas, was published in 2011.
He collaborated on two books of prose, illustrated by Jeannie; Marshalled Musings and Random Jottings. Rutherford was twice named poet of the month in The Guardian and also featured on BBC Radio.
Jeannie said: “It’s a joy to know that so many people were moved by his work and continue to be. I’m proud to be able to take up the mantle and ensure that his legacy endures.”
Tickets for the event, which begins at 7pm, cost £15 and can be ordered from the box office at Hull Truck Theatre.