Ian Talbot
Ian Talbot succeeded Mervyn Willis as Artistic Director from 1987. As Artistic Director for over twenty years, Ian succeeded in introducing musical theatre to the Park, and it continues to be a hugely popular part of each season. These productions, ranging from Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Roy Hudd to Gershwin’s Lady Be Good starring Bernard Cribbins and Joanna Riding, have received over twenty Olivier nominations including a win for Dame Judi Dench’s production of The Boys from Syracuse. In 2007, he was succeeded by the current Artistic Director, Timothy Sheader.
Plays and roles
The Boy Friend (2006)
Director
Lord Brockhurst
![Ian Talbot in The Boy Friend](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/38dd1caf635e83a31e54a13f1d659394a63e361c_bf2006-h-008.jpg?auto=compress,format)
The Boy Friend (2007)
Director
Lord Brockhurst
![Ian Talbot in The Boy Friend](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/260442e0-7adb-4da2-b347-8b9ffc0e04b6_Boy+Friend+2007.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=465,0,2336,2336&w=420&h=420)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1979)
Bottom
![Ian Talbot in A Midsummer Night's Dream](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/055f23a7-e1f7-4202-a894-74216cefdba2_PhotostageMID_DREAM-79OAT-BW-165-15.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=99,0,2355,2355&w=420&h=420)
Twelfth Night (1979)
Sir Toby Belch
![Ian Talbot in Twelfth Night](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/839d9d4d-c798-455c-b451-c50795d78805_PhotostageTWELFTH_NIGHT-1979-OAT-BW-N-194-22.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=324,0,2356,2356&w=420&h=420)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1978)
Bottom
![Ian Talbot in A Midsummer Night's Dream](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/f45bb297-3dd4-465f-bb32-5f16631d60b2_GettyImages-914876828+%282%29.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=221,0,4019,4019&w=420&h=420)
The Man of Destiny (1978)
Napoleon
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1987)
Bottom
![Ian Talbot in A Midsummer Night's Dream](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/076754dc-ab8a-4acc-91b4-fd2005842b44_PhotostageMID%7EDREAM-87OAT-CT-01.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,212,1571,1571&w=420&h=420)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1975)
Bottom
The Swaggerer (1989)
Trogo
The Tempest (1972)
Trinculo
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
Nick Bottom
![Ian Talbot in A Midsummer Night's Dream](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/22091c1e-ff3a-4040-8898-640f0e045f17_Dream+2007+A_Midsummer_Nights_Dream105%5B1%5D.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=443,0,2336,2336&w=420&h=420)
A Connecticut Yankee (1993)
Director
![Ian Talbot in A Connecticut Yankee](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/8d60116ef2ba8d035f5081d17f997af586202aa2_cy1993-h-am003.jpg?auto=compress,format)
The Comedy of Errors (1981)
Dromio of Syracuse
![Ian Talbot in The Comedy of Errors](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/4dd0a217-107b-464b-a163-b136046e0fae_PhotostageCOMEDY_ERRORS-1981-OAT-BW-N-212-1.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=683,0,2363,2363&w=420&h=420)
Julius Caesar (1990)
Casca
Much Ado About Nothing (2000)
Dogberry
![Ian Talbot in Much Ado About Nothing](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/f87c9796-e95a-4435-99ca-e2dc4c996302_Much+Ado+22.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,21,348,348&w=420&h=420)
Androlocles and the Lion (1981)
Director
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1999)
Director
![Ian Talbot in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/999bb633-f7fe-4ecd-80d7-5c7ebabf87a5_PhotostageFUNNY_THING_FORUM-99-CN-C-11.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,673,2353,2353&w=420&h=420)
The Pirates of Penzance (2000)
Director
![Ian Talbot in The Pirates of Penzance](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/f7293d18b71e4a55592647368ea6855fef18c2c8_pp2000-h-003.jpg?auto=compress,format)
Henry V (1977)
Archbishop of Canterbury/Fluellen
![Ian Talbot in Henry V](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/79f75496c9ec06e9b2615a0fd1121f56ffd76e36_h51977-h-005.jpg?auto=compress,format)
As You Like It (1973)
Touchstone
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1987)
Director
![Ian Talbot in The Two Gentlemen of Verona](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/523af167-eea6-4e77-98e0-2cfda7b1ea0c_PhotostageTWO_GENTS-1987-OAT-BW-P-374-3.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=600,0,2337,2337&w=420&h=420)
Much Ado About Nothing (1981)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Much Ado About Nothing](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/6452287a-79ba-4697-86b1-10b3dbf50a2c_Much+Ado+1981+-+Kate+O%27Mara+%28Beatrice%29+Gary+Raymon+%28Benedick%29.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,40,519,519&w=420&h=420)
High Society (2003)
Director
![Ian Talbot in High Society](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/d03ba5aa5aec0093b8d00ac1534a952effd3d682_the-company.jpg?auto=compress,format)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1998)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/200529a928d9980701c3f2f8915b4f6f16688cf2_gpb1998v.jpg?auto=compress,format)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1998)
Nick Bottom
Lady Be Good (1992)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Lady Be Good](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/cffc0bb0e5f84cb1dd3a3bbe35eddb0535f081c2_lg1992-h-004.jpg?auto=compress,format)
Where's Charley? (2001)
Director
Oh! What A Lovely War (2002)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Oh! What A Lovely War](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/04b1123543c1c47a5bc88bfd837cc99891da9ccd_ow2002-h-am001.jpg?auto=compress,format)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2006)
Director
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2003)
Launce
![Ian Talbot in The Two Gentlemen of Verona](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/e719447f-cf57-42ee-94df-6e7892d7cb51_The+Two+Gentlemen+of+Verona+2003.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,36,900,900&w=420&h=420)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2004)
Director
![Ian Talbot in A Midsummer Night's Dream](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/b5f170ef-2165-479e-9c4e-03f15b630c89_Russ+Abbott+in+the+Dream+2004.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,98,1826,1826&w=420&h=420)
HMS Pinafore (2005)
Director
Lady Be Good (2007)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Lady Be Good](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/2dd9eda4-7640-44c8-8c51-d4463b3fd355_Lady+Be+Good+1992+-+Joanna+Riding+and+Bernard+Cribbins.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=27,0,565,565&w=420&h=420)
Babes in Arms (1988)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Babes in Arms](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/70a4dda08fa4fc96b2779d5342c09e409e4eee49_ba1988-h-001.jpg?auto=compress,format)
The Music Man (1995)
Director
![Ian Talbot in The Music Man](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/8d9ef759-c59c-49de-a4ff-3b8a2c011c3c_The+Music+Man++%285%29.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,112,2084,2084&w=420&h=420)
The Fantasticks (1990)
Director
![Ian Talbot in The Fantasticks](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/dd5d7459-ac0c-4143-9e2e-0fc55e4dcb9f_The+Fantasticks+1990.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=305,0,475,475&w=420&h=420)
The Pirates of Penzance (2001)
Director
![Ian Talbot in The Pirates of Penzance](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/a2a109c0-5457-411f-903b-d6324467ec40_New+Pirates+1.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=109,0,758,758&w=420&h=420)
Kiss Me Kate (1997)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Kiss Me Kate](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/ded2bcd7-bb48-417a-9b0c-5ee749263e2e_PhotostageKISS_ME_KATE-97OAT-CN-A-32.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,823,2283,2283&w=420&h=420)
Paint Your Wagon (1996)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Paint Your Wagon](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/fe1bc837-67cd-4453-9135-6343fd57abec_Paint+Your+Wagon+1996+-+Claire+Carrie+and+Tony+Selby.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,75,512,512&w=420&h=420)
Camelot (2004)
Director
![Ian Talbot in Camelot](https://images.prismic.io/open-air-theatre/2d8531a4-4f08-4949-b2fc-64b3e93865e2_Camelot+2004+Arthur.jpeg?auto=compress,format&rect=506,0,1648,1648&w=420&h=420)
The Card (1994)
Director