Jack Rooke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jack Rooke | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1993-07-29) 29 July 1993 (age 32) Watford, England |
| Education | St Clement Danes School |
| Alma mater | University of Westminster |
| Occupations | Comedian, screenwriter, author |
| Television | Big Boys (2022-2025) |
Jack Rooke (born 1993) is an English comedian and writer. His work often explores issues surrounding grief and loss, using humour and documentary film to explore the awkwardness of death.
Rooke was born in Watford, Hertfordshire in 1993.[1] He grew up in Rickmansworth and was a pupil at St Clement Danes School from 2004 to 2011.[2][3] His father, who was a cab driver, was diagnosed with cancer and died when he was 15 years old.[4]
Rooke studied journalism at University of Westminster, graduating with a BA in 2014.[5][6]
Works
Stage
His debut show Good Grief,[7][8][9] which played at the Soho Theatre, earned Rooke a nomination for Best Show by an Emerging Artist in the Total Theatre Awards 2015[10] and a mention in The New York Times' Top Theatre highlights of the Edinburgh Festival 2015.[11] The show protested[12] against government proposals to cut Widowed Parents Allowance, a basic weekly welfare payment for bereaved families in Britain. In collaboration with the Childhood Bereavement Network, the show aimed to raise awareness of these cuts.
Good Grief headlined Soho Theatre's first ever #SohoRising season, aiming to showcase the best 'emerging companies, young people and brave new writing.'[13] BBC Comedy commissioned Good Grief for a Radio 4 adaptation, broadcast in March 2017.[14]
His second show, Happy Hour, was commissioned by Soho Theatre and premiered at the Edinburgh Festival 2017 to critical acclaim and a nomination for The Scotsman's first ever Mental Health Arts award.[15]
Television
His debut BBC Three series Happy Man was broadcast in April 2017, a documentary exploring alternative solutions to the male mental health crisis.[16] The show was nominated for Best Factual in the iTalkTelly Awards 2017 and earned Rooke a place on the BBC New Talent Hotlist 2017.[17] He also received Broadcast magazine's TV Writing Hot Shot 2017.[citation needed]
Rooke later created and wrote Big Boys, a semi-autobiographical comedy for Channel 4,[18] based on his Edinburgh Fringe shows. Broadcast in three seasons from 2022 to 2025, the series revolves around a fictionalised version of Rooke (played by Dylan Llewellyn) attending university and exploring his sexuality while grieving for his father, helped by his friendship with his more extroverted flatmate.[19][20][21] The show has earned Rooke multiple BAFTA Award nominations, winning in 2024 for Best Writer: Comedy.[22]
Publications
He is an ambassador for male suicide prevention charity CALM and deputy edited their free lifestyle publication The CALMzine from 2013 to 2015.[citation needed] He picked up the 2016 Mind Media award for Best Publication. In 2020, Penguin Books published Rooke's memoir Cheer the F**k Up. It campaigns with wit and candour for recognition of the mental health struggles of young people.[23]
Awards and nominations
References
- ↑ Fox, Killian (17 February 2024). "On my radar: Jack Rooke's cultural highlights". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ↑ McGuinness, Fintan (1 June 2023). "Watford comedian's sitcom to take over local cafe for filming today". Watford Observer. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Noted Old Danes & Teachers - St Clement Danes School". www.stclementdanes.org.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ O'Neill, Lauren (26 May 2022). "Jack Rooke: 'Class is ignored in the mental health conversation'". The i Paper. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Westminster alumnus Jack Rooke releases final season of BAFTA-winning TV show Big Boys". University of Westminster. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "University of Westminster awards Honorary Doctorate to BAFTA winning writer Jack Rooke". University of Westminster. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Gay Times - Good Grief review". Gay Times Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015.
- ↑ "Broadway Baby - Good Grief review". Broadway Baby. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016.
- ↑ "Scotsman - Good Grief review". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016.
- 1 2 Cooke, Chris (20 August 2015). "Total Theatre Awards shortlists announced". ThreeWeeks Edinburgh. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ McElroy, Steven (28 August 2015). "New York Times Theatre Edinburgh Highlights 2015". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017.
- ↑ "Childhood Bereavement Network - Benefit Reform Recommendations" (PDF). Childhood Bereavement Network UK. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2016.
- ↑ "Soho Theatre announces first ever #SohoRising season". Soho Theatre. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016.
- ↑ "Jack Rooke: Good Grief". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- 1 2 "Winner announced for first Mental Health Fringe Award at Edinburgh festival". Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Allen, Ben (10 May 2017). "Mental Health Awareness Week: comedian Jack Rooke seeks out alternative measures in new BBC3 doc Happy Man". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "BBC New Talent Hotlist 2017". www.bbc.co.uk. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Ryan, Anya (25 May 2022). "Jack Rooke on his new Channel 4 comedy Big Boys: we never see straight/gay male friendships on screen". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ↑ "Jack Rooke on his new Channel 4 comedy Big Boys: we never see straight/gay male friendships on screen". Yahoo!. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ↑ "Big Boys creator Jack Rooke on celebrating naffness and finding beauty in grief". PinkNews. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ↑ Cragg, Michael (16 February 2025). "'I spent a lot of time crying on the tube': Big Boys creator Jack Rooke on saying goodbye to his comedy hit". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ↑ Yossman, K. J. (20 March 2024). "'Black Mirror,' 'Silo' and 'The Last of Us' Among Winners at BAFTA TV Craft Awards". Variety. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ↑ "Cheer the F**K Up with Jack Rooke (that's the name of his book)". www.thecalmzone.net. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "The winners from the 2022 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar". Attitude. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Writers' Guild Awards winners 2023". The Writers' Guild of Great Britain. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Goldbart, Max (24 March 2023). "'This Is Going To Hurt' Stars Win Big At Broadcasting Press Guild Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "TV Baftas 2023: The list of winners and nominees". BBC News. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (28 March 2023). "Kate Winslet, Kit Connor, 'The Traitors' Among Winners at U.K.'s Royal Television Society Awards". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Sir Salman Rushdie and Prima Facie among winners of South Bank Sky Arts Awards". The Independent. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Szalai, Georg (27 March 2024). "Hannah Waddingham, 'Happy Valley,' Bella Ramsey Among Winners of Royal Television Society Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Yossman, K. J. (29 April 2024). "'Black Mirror,' 'Silo' and 'The Last of Us' Among Winners at BAFTA TV Craft Awards". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ "Bafta TV Awards: The winners and nominees". BBC News. 12 May 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
- ↑ Knight, Lewis. "Royal Television Society Awards 2026 winners: From Adolescence to EastEnders | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ "Jack Rooke wins another Bafta". www.chortle.co.uk. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 28 April 2026.
- ↑ "Bafta Television Awards 2026: The nominations in full". BBC News. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.