Neil King, teacher at Hymers from 1974 to 2006 and Head of English, is currently performing The Catch in an 8-week theatre tour around East and North Yorkshire.  The Catch, originally staged at The Royal Court Upstairs in 1981.

The play is a mix of sit-com and serious social issues, involving a small cast.  It is set in Cornwall, and at the time of its writing, deals with the decline of the fishing industry, in part because of the imposition of Common Market fishing quotas and dwindling fish stock in the ocean.

Neil plays the character of Swiddles, one of two embattled fishermen, who turn to criminal measures in order to supplement their income.  He has received great reviews of his performance:

Neil King as Swiddles is undoubtedly the stand-out performance. Even when I found it difficult to follow the dialect, I always understood what King meant through his expressions. He provides the show’s emotional heart with ease and the pathos he brings to the aging fisherman is truly essential to the play’s success.

Review by Hannah Hobson

During his time as a teacher at Hymers, he directed many school drama productions, and after his retirement in 2006 he founded Other Lives Productions with Richard Avery.

Can you remember performing or watching one of Mr King's school plays?