A NEW ERA
September 11th 2024
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After 27 years our Founder, Writer, Producer and Artistic Director Pete Talbot will be retiring as Artistic Director & Producer.​​
Pete founded the Company in January 1997 after spending twenty-three years as a teacher and worked tirelessly to gradually build The Rudes into the company that they are today. Despite constant financial insecurity and against all the odds the company has survived - an extraordinary achievement. Pete has written 20 plays for The Rudes, directed 26 productions and written countless songs. He has produced every one of our 29 productions, built sets and stages, made wig hats, pulled the wagon thousands of miles, checked tickets, sold programmes and undertaken a vast amount of work (the essential work that almost no-one knows ever sees!) and a lot more. He hasn’t just steered the ship…. he built it! We are tremendously grateful to Pete for all his hard work and passion and wish him some gentler times ahead.
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Although Pete is stepping down as Artistic Director and Producer he will still hold a major role, probably the most important one, within the company as our writer. He will also remain on the board as a trustee and it’s highly likely you’ll speak to him on the phone in the office as he’ll be dedicating time every week to assisting in the day to day operations and as a production consultant (an oracle if you will!). Pete is already developing two new plays for The Rudes and is no doubt looking forward to having a bit more time to concentrate on those specifically - we’re looking forward to sharing those, and many more, with you all over the years to come.
‘Working for The Rudes for 27 years, since I founded it in March 1997, has been more than a job. It has been my life and I have loved it. But the time has come to step back and hand over to younger and more energetic bodies and minds who can take the company into a new era. For those of you who are older like me, you know what it feels like dealing with all the new technologies; while it is simpler for younger people. So, I know it’s time to go and hand over to people who know the new world. I shall still write the plays and will delight in being able to spend my mornings just writing, partly the plays and partly other things just for me and the sheer joy of it, so I have no regrets. I wish Rowan well as the new Artistic Director and have total faith that he will keep it all going for many years yet.’
Pete Talbot
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Our new Artistic Director and Producer is Rowan Talbot. Rowan, Pete’s son, has been part of the company since the very beginning and has been involved, as either an actor or composer, in all but three of The Rudes productions since 1999 and has worked closely with Pete for many years. The first time he ever set foot on stage was, in fact, under Pete’s direction in a production of Fiddler On The Roof at the age of 4! He directed our 2010 UK & German Tour of The Musicians Of Bremen and has been our resident composer since 2013 and our Tour Manger since 2018.