Trish Cooke
Writer and actress, Trish Cooke, graduated with a BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree after studying at Ilkey College in the early 1980s.
“It was a bit of a culture shock for me at first.
Ducks and geese roamed freely on the campus
and I was not used to being amongst wildlife.
It felt very white and middle class, I wasn’t
sure I would stay. I was just 19 and Ilkley felt
like a world away from what I’d been used to
growing up with my large West Indian family in
Buttershaw on a council estate, nevertheless I
decided to stick it out. There were days when I
felt like a fish out of water being in the minority
as a black woman, but I did a lot of activities
in Bradford and I was able to incorporate my
projects into my course work. It was a special
time in my life and one I shall always remember
fondly.”
Trish writes scripts for TV, theatre and radio.
Her TV writing credits include Eastenders and
Doctors. Radio credits include a mini series,
called Unspoken and a comedy Single Plus
One. For the stage, credits include Back Street
Mammy and Running Dream. Her latest
theatre credits include Cinderella (nominated
for Laurence Olivier Award 2008) and Anansi Trades Places. Trish was Writer in Residence at
Liverpool Playhouse in 1988/89; at BBC North in
2001/2, and at Second Wave Youth Theatre at
The Albany Empire in 1992.
Trish has also written 14 books for children,
including Hoorah for Mary Seacole; Mr Pam
Pam and the Hullabazoo; Full, Full, Full Of
Love; Catch; Zoom and So Much, which won
numerous awards. Her latest book, No Dinner
for Anansi will be published in August 2008.
As an actress Trish has played many roles on
TV including parts in popular dramas such as
Coronation Street, Eastenders, Doctors and
Casualty. From 1988 to 1996 Trish presented
a preschool programme for Children’s BBC
called Playdays and wrote some of the scripts
for the programme. She was one of the original
writers for CBeebies Tweenies and has worked
alongside BBC producers to develop more
preschool programmes for CBBC.
“Over the years I have been both a writer and
an actress. I’ve always enjoyed both. I’m also
a mother and a wife and that leaves very little
time for anything else. I juggle but I wouldn’t
want it any other way. I love my work and I’m
lucky to be doing something I love!”
Photograph supplieed by Trish Cooke