"John Godber is one of the unsung heroes of British theatre, reaching the giddy heights of number three in the most-performed playwrights league table, nestled in behind Shakespeare and Ayckbourn" - Guardian Bouncers, a play about nightlife: "A show that's worth braving any front of house, however formidable ...simply spellbinding" Guardian; Happy Families: "The inseparable contradictions of family love and oppression are carefully held in this fine comedy ...superb characterisation ...the rhythms of Godber's dialogue are freshly funny, the pace precise" (Independent); Shakers, a play about party-goers: "This is one of those slices of life that everyone can recognise and laugh at" Liverpool Daily Post

'Bouncers is not so much a play as it is a social phenomenon. There is barely a language it hasn't been translated in to, nor a country it hasn't conquered. It has become an indelible part of the theatrical landscape... Bouncers survives because the urge to drink, fight and reproduce is never likely to go out of fashion.' Alfred Hickling, Guardian, 21.1.09 'It's a model of empty-space theatricality. Four actors create - with no props or sets - a vulgar, vibrant, Friday night world of hairdressers, urinals, northern club action and back-street shagging... Its physical exuberance exhilarates audiences.' Claire Brennan, Observer, 25.1.09

John Godber is the artistic director of Hull Truck Theatre and a prolific playwright of popular, comic plays. His many plays include Bouncers, Up ‘N' Under, April In Paris, and Teechers. Methuen Drama publishes four volumes of his plays.