The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca

Honouring one of Hull’s trailblazers who battled to improve safety on North Sea trawlers, Hull Truck Theatre and Hull UK City of Culture 2017 premiered The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca during the final season of Hull 2017, Tell the World.

Written by Maxine Peake, directed by Sarah Frankcom and Imogen Knight and with an original live score by folk’s finest – The Unthanks – the unique site-specific production took audiences on an unforgettable journey. Using music, storytelling, movement and performance, the show celebrated an inspirational period in Hull’s history and a force for change that resonated far beyond the city.

As audiences followed Lillian Bilocca and her crew of head-scarved revolutionaries through Hull’s historic Guildhall, they were transported back to 1968 to witness the Three Day Millionaire’s riotous return home from the wet and wild west and dance at the ghostly Silver Cod Ball, the trawler owners’ annual slap on the back.

The immersive piece of theatre allowed the audience to become part of Hull’s fishing community, celebrating the vivid and dangerous lives of its trawler men and uniting against the feudal power of the ship owners.

Past events

Dance Exchange Hull, 2019 © Tom Arran

Meet the funders

Installation View. Practice in Place. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2020. © Jules Lister

Practice In Place

HIPI Hang Out Forum, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured

1:1 Advice Surgeries with Arts Council England

50 Queers for 50 Years Workshop © Chris Pepper

Creative Micro-Commission Programme

Model City, Absolutely Cultured © Chi He

Model City

Nnena Kalu, Wrapping. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Wrapping, Nnena Kalu

Frances Disley, The Cucumber Fell in the Sand. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Frances Disley: The Cucumber Fell In The Sand

Installation View. Jade Montserrat, Instituting Care. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Jade Montserrat: Instituting Care

Ella Dorton, Journey to the Centre of the Couch (Couches & Other Good Ideas). Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Journey To The Centre Of The Couch (Couches & Other Good Ideas), Ella Dorton

The Witching Hour, Absolutely Cultured © LDi Studios

The Witching Hour

Man On The Moon Keisha Thompson. IETM Hull 2019 © Keisha Thompson

IETM Hull 2019 Artistic Programme

Installation view. Measures of Life, The Lumen Prize for Digital Art. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2018. © Tom Arran

Measures of Life by The Lumen Prize for Digital Art

Dominoes, Absolutely Cultured © Rob Battersby

Dominoes

Blade © Tom Arran

Blade

A Duckie Summer Tea Party/LGBT50 © Tom Arran

A Duckie Summer Tea Party / LGBT50

Chatty Hull, 2019 © Absolutely Cultured

Making work with and for communities

HIPI Hang Out Forum, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured

Arts Council England under £15k Applications: Top Tips with Deb Ashby

Remote Talent Development

Installation view, 2019. Ollie Dook, Proboscidea Rappings. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Proboscidea Rappings, Ollie Dook

Dance Exchange Programme, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured

Dance Exchange Hull

Language Café © Chris Pepper

Chatty Hull

Hull Takeover: Previews © The Herd/The Roaring Girls/Just Club

Hull Takeover: Previews

Athena Papadopoulos, A Tittle-Tattle Tell-a-Tale-Heart, courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist 2019. © James Mulkeen

A Tittle-Tattle Tell-a-Tale Heart, Athena Papadopoulos

Installation view. Place To Place: Liverpool Biennial Touring Programme. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2019. © Tom Arran

Place To Place: Liverpool Biennial Touring Programme

Jamie Reid XXXXX: Fifty Years of Subversion and The Spirit © Jamie Reid

Jamie Reid XXXXX: Fifty Years of Subversion and The Spirit

Contains Strong Language © BBC

Contains Strong Language

Land of Green Ginger © Tom Arran

Act VII: Land of Green Ginger

John Grant's North Atlantic Flux: Sounds from Smoky Bay © Chris Pepper

John Grant's North Atlantic Flux: Sounds from Smoky Bay

The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca © Hull Truck Theatre