Jacqueline Rudet Topics List taken from her interview with Susan Croft, 4th May 2007,
recorded by Arlan Harris. Video and audio extracts edited by Jessica Higgs.
Personal background
Born Mile End, moved to Caribbean aged 3 or 4, brought up by grandparents
Back to London aged 9 or 10, to live with parents
Relationship with siblings
Magdalene St Luce – her proper name, choice of pseudonym
Family life
Mother worked in catering at Mile End Hospital
Father worked at Fords and as a builder
Lived Forest Gate
Relationships within family
Routes into theatre
Grandfather, wrote songs, involved in carnival, storytelling
Mother sang
Studied drama at Barking College
Joining CAST (Cartoon Archetypal Slogan Theatre)
From One Strike to Another, toured c1981/2
CAST company members -Roland Muldoon and Kate Rutter
Token Black actor in the company
Started writing because of lack of plays for Black actors
Belt and Braces – playing preacher’s daughter – and other stereotypical characters
At college directed The Bed Bug by Mayakovsky, setting up her own an independent company
Imani Faith
With Friends Like You written for ten Black women
JR wrote and directed, performed at ‘September in the Pink’ festival,
GLC (Greater London Council) -funded c1984/85
Chris Ward’s Wet Paint company – writing and directing
Radical work – punk theatre, token black but company was pioneering, radical, dangerous, experience of empowerment. Toyah Wilcox involved
Aware of Theatre of Black Women – Patricia Hilaire, Paulette Randall
Writing plays
Adaptation of With Friends Like You into Basin
Wrote Zita, similar to Take Back What’s Yours
Money to Live, directed by Gordon Case, description of play and issues around its production
Basin, directed by Paulette Randall
Writing of her youth in contrast to now
Theatre industry’s demands on her as a young Black woman
God’s Second in Command: also on radio, description of themes in play, Father and son relationships exploring Black male identity
Take Back What’s Yours, Croydon Warehouse, adaptation of Arnold Wesker’s Roots, grandfather of her oldest daughter, in it Beatty returns to the Caribbean
Zita, looking at changes in the Caribbean -progressive barrenness, cultural rootlessness. Issue of what to hand onto a new generation
Relationship with Arnold Wesker, his encouragement, parallels with his life as part of a Jewish immigrant community