PETER Talbot, the founder of the brilliant and always original Rude Mechanical Theatre Company, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to the arts.

Pete founded the Rude Mechanical company in 1997 and spent the next 27 years building it into one of the country’s most distinctive touring open air theatre organisations.

This honour recognises not only Pete’s extraordinary contribution to theatre, but also the work of the many performers, musicians, volunteers, trustees, venue hosts and audience members who have helped shape the company over the years.

In September 2024, Pete stepped down as artistic director and producer, handing leadership of the company to Rowan Talbot. However, he continues to play a vital role within the organisation as writer, trustee and production consultant.

This year’s play, which has started its summer tour is The Wife, inspired by Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, an original musical play, presented in true Rude style!

It’s spring on the road to Canterbury. Alyson of Bath, cloth maker, widow, pilgrim and five-times-married expert in the arts of love, has plenty to say and no intention of holding her tongue.

As the pilgrims journey together, Alyson recounts the story of her five husbands before leading us into a tale of a young knight, a terrible crime, and a question that sends him on a quest in search of an answer no one can agree upon.

See it in June on Friday 19th at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers or on Saturday 20th at Abbey House in Abbotsbury.  In July The Wife will be at  Bradford Abbas (2nd), Baltonsborough (3rd), Stourpaine (4th) Stogursey on 24th and at Child Okeford on 25th.