Jayde Adams, Self Esteem & Jack Rooke in conversation
- Text by Huck
Comedian, actor and recent contestant on Strictly Come Dancing Jayde Adams reclines on a sofa in the Mondrian London Shoreditch, slowly raising her leg to vertical, showing off her flexibility. Two of her best friends sit across from her, unimpressed. They’ve seen this behaviour before. The pair are award-winning TV writer and comedian Jack Rooke, whose recent autobiographical TV show Big Boys – about a young man dealing with grief and sexuality – received critical acclaim, and singer Self Esteem, whose much lauded sophomore album, Prioritise Pleasure, has achieved cult status along with a Mercury Prize nomination.
The talented trio have achieved their success through hard work, self-belief and never giving up. We invited them to discuss their relationship, their individual bumpy roads to success, how to deal with dying on stage and a lot of laughs.
You might like
In photos: Black Texas life since emancipation
Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Youthful joy & end-of-era poignancy at a London school prom
Leavers — For several years, Lewis Khan documented young people as they celebrated the last of their school days and the completion of their exams. The series is now collated in a new self-published photobook and short film.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Harry Gruyaert’s vintage, kaleidoscopic scenes of New York
A Sense of Place — For 50 years, the Belgian photographer and Magnum Photos member has been capturing NYC’s colourful chaos. A new photobook and exhibition showcase his unique, technicolour view of the city.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside Lower Duck Pond, the nicest town on the internet
/r/HaveWeMet — With a population of 2,500 and no fixed location, the subreddit is a space for roleplaying citizens to solve mysteries, host fictional events and ultimately connect. In an internet that’s often divided and toxic, Vicky Jessop hangs out in one of its most wholesome corners.
Written by: Vicky Jessop
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene
Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.
Written by: Samuel White