BAFTA-winning writer and performer Jack Rooke will bring his acclaimed debut show Good Grief back to the stage for a special nationwide tour beginning in August 2026.
The retrospective marks ten years since the piece premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before transferring to Soho Theatre, where it earned praise for its heartfelt and humorous exploration of grief, family and growing up.
The new tour begins with a three-night run at Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall from 27 August, before visiting cities including Oxford, Salford, Bristol, Norwich, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle, Brighton and Liverpool.
A London date will also be announced, which is set to be Rooke’s biggest venue to date.
Part revival and part reflection, the show returns to material originally co-written with Rooke’s then-80-year-old Nan Sicely, blending the original story with new writing on class, ambition and the surreal journey from spoken-word artist to BAFTA-winning screenwriter.
The piece explores Rooke’s early experiences of grief and how his career was shaped by those personal losses, while also questioning the current challenges facing working-class artists in the UK.
Directed by Gabriel Bisset-Smith, the show promises candid humour and emotional honesty, with a content note for discussions of grief, suicide and even Geri Halliwell leaving the Spice Girls.
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.”
Rooke is best known as the creator of Channel 4 and Hulu’s Big Boys, adapted from his shows Good Grief and Happy Hour. The series earned multiple BAFTA nominations before he won Best Comedy Writer at the BAFTA Craft Awards, as well as the Comedy Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.Â
