Dockers in the spotlight as play gets £18,000 boost

A playwright is putting dockers in the spotlight after getting council backing to put her drama about them on the stage.

Karen Goddard spent two years writing and researching the experience of workers at the Port of Felixstowe and has received an £18,700 grant from Suffolk County Council's culture fund to bring her play to Felixstowe and Ipswich.

It is one of 37 projects chosen by the council to receive funding in the 2026-2027 budget.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to receive support from the culture fund. After two years researching and writing this story, Don't Knock The Dock will finally be seen on stage. It's really exciting," said Goddard.

Set in the 1980s, Goddard's play follows two 16-year-old friends, Gary and Simon, who leave school and find work at Felixstowe's docks.

Gary is happy buzzing around the dock on his moped, but Simon has his sights set on company cars, sharp suits and big money.

"I grew up in Felixstowe during the '80s and I know lots of people just like Simon and Gary. If you left school at 16 with no qualifications, the dock was the obvious choice," says Goddard, who now lives in Charsfield.

The grant will allow Goddard to employ actors, a director and lighting and sound designers to bring the play to life.

Performances are planned for May 2027 at the Eastern Angles Centre in Ipswich and at the Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe.

The project will also include reminiscence sessions, a school workshop and an exhibition.

"It's really important to celebrate the lives and achievements of these dock workers," says Karen.

"Felixstowe wouldn't be the popular and vibrant town it is today without the economic benefits of the port".

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