Company of Rogues Farewells Founder and Artistic Director Goldele Rayment

Published by: Company of Rogues | 18-Jun-2019
Company of Rogues announces the departure of their Artistic Director, Goldele Rayment, who founded the Sydney-based independent theatre company in 2015. Goldele leaves to pursue her artistic practice as a teacher, dramaturg and director, and to enjoy time with family after her recent wedding to educator Aston Kwok.
The company will be helmed by producer Robbi James in partnership with performer, director and producer Erica Lovell.

"Since Robbi joined Company of Rogues we have achieved career milestones which had previously seemed unattainable to me, such as touring Morgan Stern both nationally and internationally, and obtaining our first grants for a creative project,'' Rayment said, "It is a remarkable thing to seed an idea and have others join you with as much passion and commitment as he has."

James was producer on the company's 2017 work Morgan Stern, by Gina Schien, before joining Rayment as partner in 'The Rogues' in 2018. Lovell joined the company to direct Felix Nobis' Boy Out of the Country at the 2018 Pioneer Play Festival. The play recently finished a successful season at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre.

Rayment reflects fondly on the dozens of artistic professionals the company has worked with in her time as Artistic Director, "I am incredibly grateful to Erica and Robbi, and to the too-many-to-name-here performers and other creatives with whom I have made joyous, risky, challenging and inspiring theatre under the auspice of Company of Rogues" she said.

James and Lovell will each take the title of Executive Creative Producer, working collaboratively to develop and produce the company's ambitious 2020 season.

"Robbi and I share a goal for The Rogues that will continue Goldele's vision to select work that challenges and inspires us" Lovell said, "we're committed to finding and developing original stories, to seeking out new arts opportunities and to creating space for invisible artists to be seen on Australian stages."

Goldele's next steps include her new focus on directing opera, including directing Willoughby Symphony Orchestra's Last Night of the Proms in August for the Pacific Opera Young Artists program.

For Robbi James it's a bittersweet change. "I'm humbled and grateful to Goldele for believing in me, in our work and in our partnership. Her original vision will always be at the heart of Company of Rogues." he said, "I will dearly miss Goldele's energy, artistry and passion but I'm also excited to see where these great assets will take her next".

Company of Rogues is currently in pre-production on the Sydney Premiere of Sophia Simmons' Gravity Guts, on stage in September, and are developing Little Girl Lost, a new puppetry-led piece for families, with playwright Peter Maple and director Scott Parker.

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