ROWAN TALBOT
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, ACTOR, COMPOSER, MUSCAL DIRECTOR & TOUR MANAGER
Rowan became Artistic Director and Producer of The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company in 2024, having spent many years with The Rudes as an actor, resident composer, musical director and tour manager. He has been closely involved with the company since 1999, working across almost every Rudes production as either an actor or composer.
A professional actor, composer and musical director for over 30 years, Rowan has worked extensively across theatre, film and television. His theatre credits include work with National Theatre Wales, Theatre Clwyd, Queen’s Theatre, Chipping Norton Theatre, Taking Flight Theatre Company, Tall Stories and Mercury Theatre Wales, with performances at venues including the RSC and Bloomsbury Theatre. His screen work has included appearances for the BBC and Channel 4.
As a composer, Rowan has written original music for more than 50 theatre productions and films, as well as work for contemporary dance, animation and circus. Music has always been central to his work with The Rudes, and he continues to compose and serve as musical director for the company alongside his role as Artistic Director and Producer.
PETE TALBOT MBE
FOUNDER & WRITER
Pete founded the Company in January 1997 after spending twenty-three years as a teacher & is its writer, a trustee, production consultant and was the company artistic director from 1997 to 2024. He studied English at Cardiff University and then Language, Education & the Arts at Sussex University. He has written, mainly poetry, from his teenage years & all his adult life and has now written over 20 plays for The Rudes, including ‘The Comedy of Babi Babbett’, ‘Five Get Famous’ and his favourite, ‘Noah Babel’s Ark’.
He studied the Commedia dell’Arte at ‘The International School of Comic Acting’, Reggio Emilia, Italy, under the maestro, Antonio Fava, and the commedia has been the main influence in his work, although his love of silent movie, music hall, circus, pantomime & literature in general have all informed his writing.
He spent over fifty years playing guitar & has composed a lot of the songs for the company but arthritis has taken its toll & made playing now very difficult. He is passionate about the importance of education & giving every child a proper start, about finding solutions to poverty and about the importance of communities where people can mark the milestones of life with others, so we can enjoy cultural things together, avoid loneliness & be fulfilled. He loves the arts in general, especially reading, all music, especially jazz & 20th Century ‘classical music’, rugby & cricket, & supports Liverpool FC. His favourite composers are Vaughan Williams, Kurt Weill & Steve Reich, favourite musicians are Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell & Tom Waits & his favourite song is ‘Smile’ by Charlie Chaplin. The most influential book for him has been ‘A Passage to India’ by EM Forster. His favourite poet is TS Eliot & his most inspiring painter is Picasso. Pete is a practitioner of Kaizen. He has been married for over fifty years to Sue.
In 2026 Pete was awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to the arts.
Annette Keen
COSTUME MANAGER & BOARD MEMBER
Ex-teacher, ex-plumber’s mate (“secretary, actually…”), she studied dress design and making at college, and subsequently patchwork and quilting. Her cheerful & calm disposition has added so much to the inner workings of the Company & is never far away during crises, ready to help & find solutions. She has been so important to us since she joined our team in 2015 & has become a member of our Board.
Other loves – She’s been a jazz promoter/manager for over twenty years & runs a jazz club in Eastbourne, and also writes fiction – annettekeen.co.uk will find her! Her favourite UK jazz musician is her partner, the extraordinary Andy Panayi, a leading jazz musician over here who plays all the flutes & all the saxophones, and her favourite US jazz musician is Monty Alexander. She also loves Horace Silver, Thelonius Monk & Cole Porter. Wow! What a choice! She says, “And I always love to hear a good version of ‘Round Midnight’ or ‘Night and Day’.” So do I!
MEG LAKE
CHAIR OF THE BOARD
Meg is a founding member of The Rudes and has been involved in various capacities, actor, stage curtain designer & maker, artwork designer, board member, general adviser & wise support for over twenty years. She makes her living as an actor with a long list of credits. She is based near London & is deeply involved in the London theatre scene.
Diane Page
BOARD MEMBER & FOH TEAM
Diane Page is a trained massage therapist and also a Cordon Vert Chef having owned and run her own vegetarian and vegan event catering company for over 18 years. Diane recently retired from her full-time job with Royal Mail and is now working part-time for a local organic dairy business. She is now learning to play bridge and is also keen to join a local amateur dramatic group. Her inter-personal skills and cheery disposition is put to good use at Rudes events when on Front of House duties.
Harry Jacobs
BOARD MEMBER & FOH TEAM
Harry Jacobs, now retired, started his working life in Advertising and Promotions with several top London advertising agencies. Having specialised in print production and becoming a qualified proof reader (an expertise not required much today), Harry went on to organising major conferences, exhibitions and other large corporate events both in the UK and abroad.
He ran his own print finishing company before becoming a cinema and theatre manager for many years. His administrative and organising skills are a very welcome asset to The Rudes.
GLENN OVERINGTON
FOH CO-ORDINATOR & BOARD
MEMBER
Glenn has an extensive corporate background, began as a ‘fan’, started doing Front of House, becoming Front of House Co-ordinator and then joined our Board. He is still a Front of House volunteer & a vital cog in the Rudes machine. He is also an active naturalist with a passion for the ocean, seabirds, marine wildlife and visiting remote islands & archipelagos – and his pictures are pretty good too!
PAM KEEN
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR & BOARD
MEMBER
Pam had a career in banking that took her from customer liaison to staff training and then personnel. After taking early retirement she started her own Soft Furnishing business and also worked for the NHS, originally in a voluntary capacity, and then moved to an Arts Centre where she rose to the lofty heights of chair to the Committee (and stayed there for 8 years...).
Pam loves travel, patchwork and quilting and gin (only joking …. she's happy with wine too!).
Pam is one of Pete's right-hand women in the Rudes office, where her banking experience is of considerable help.
ANITA SCALLAN
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR, FOH CO-ORDINATOR & BOARD
MEMBER
Anita was born and brought up in the North West. After graduating from Cardiff University with an English degree she spent her working life in Local Government. In 2017 she and her husband, Andrew relocated to Eastbourne to be nearer to their children. Life now revolves around her family especially spending time with her 6 grandchildren, her voluntary work, enjoying and supporting the cultural life of Eastbourne and surrounding area, yoga, reading, knitting crafts and walking.
Anita started her voluntary work with the ‘Rudes’ in 2021 and joined the Board in 2022. She acts as minute secretary, provides administrative support in the office, works on Front of House and this year in Glenn’s absence is co-ordinating the Front of House Teams for the 2024 Tour.