Where are they now?
Richie Smith – Associate director
Richie is currently (Spring 2026) living just outside Penzance in a rural idyll. Surrounded by nature, close to the sea, he is living the dream.
Always grateful for opportunities which have come his way, he took up a job with Penwith Landscape Partnership in 2018 which lasted for 5 years (Heritage Lottery funding came to an end) and now works part-time for Cornwall Heritage Trust as a Practical Tasks Officer leading groups of volunteers maintaining many ancient archaeological sites across West Penwith.
He regularly plays a side drum with the mighty Raffidy Dumitz Band, playing raucous Cornish folk tunes and attending various events at midsummer (Golowan), midwinter (Montol), and various Wassails and other Cornish celebrations around the seasons.
He has a project called Cymbalology (https://cymbalology.wordpress.com/) which involves hitting many cymbals and encouraging other people to do so too. A recent offshoot of this project is his new trio – Kymboss. 3 people, 24 cymbals. Look out for them – coming to a weird art/music venue near you soon.
He still makes award-winning, top quality Trinity Cider with his great friend Deekey McLuckie.
He recently found himself with a spare room, which is now gleefully populated by his drum kit and many other musical instruments, including a recently acquired synthesiser (which he is still trying to tame).
Listen to what he is up to here – https://soundcloud.com/richie-smith-607253611/sets/pillocks
He is one half of the experimental metal band The Daily Biggle with Dylan Bradley-Peer (https://thedailybiggle.bandcamp.com/album/mr-flyingboxes-sticklesbird AND https://soundcloud.com/richie-smith-607253611/sets/splinter)
He was recently part of an ensemble performing ‘Funeral’ by Ontroerend Goed theatre in Redruth.
He is now a member of the board of Wildworks.
In 2024 he re-vamped the infamous Balloon Toss at Lafrowda Festival, St. Just, as Cap’n Cliché aided by the well-dodgy Tremenheere Jen.
Richard Headon – Artistic Director
Since 1996 Richard has been a core element in evolution of Desperate Men.
He has devised & led much of the Company’s work over the years and remains on the bridge steering it along whilst it blasts into its 46th year.
This year he will be out and about with Desperate Men’s latest creation, ‘The Composter’.
He will also be offering his performance & writing skills to the wider outdoor arts and events sector.
In the last year he has provided ideas, dramaturgy & direction to the ‘Wye Valley River Festival’, street performers ‘Jones & Barnard’, circus creator ‘Charles Brockbank’, arts input on the MV Balmoral with educationalists ‘My Future, My Choice’ whilst also inventing with the students at Circomedia.
He also has continued his fruitful theatrical relationship with Cirque Bijou.
He is a regular contributor through them at Camp Bestival and at a range of large theatrically immersive parties.
In recent performance work he has worked with Cat & Mouse Theatre & Fair Play
He also continues his medical, dental, pharmacist & vet role play work with Bristol & Bath Universities.
Shirley Pegna – Musical Director
She is making sound and music projects and collaborating with different artists and performers based in Bristol. As well as working with Desperate Men most recently The Composter, she has enjoyed collaborative work with Will Pegna and Louie Pegna 1st generation Desperate Men, being the sons of Richie Smith (co-founder of Desperate Man – now living and working in Cornwall) and her … they were watching or actually in Desperate Men shows since birth!
Listening to the writing cut into the Rock Record
All Terrain Training – artist/choreographer Will Pegna’s first extended show using her recordings of seismic and weather field recordings. A durational show involving usually a minimum of 8 dancers, the show toured to London, Milan, South Korea and Bristol’s Arnolfini.
https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/allterraintraining/
https://www.pgna.studio/honeymoon
https://www.pgna.studio/sunset
Seoul airport touring with ATT
Collaborating with Louie Pegna, an intermedia artist working between printmaking and installation, Earth Din was installed and performed at Arnolfini Bristol and filmed here in a Bristol warehouse. More recently collaborating on Underscore a live performance combining sound sensitive visuals and subterranean field recordings.
Shirley is a member of BEEF (Bristol Experimental and Expanded film. Notably making BEEF funded project Calling Calling – a yearlong project exploring expanded voice.
As an improvising musician she has been playing cello with musicians at the Cube Bristol, Tom Lobban at the Louisianna Bristol, with Dominic Lash and Angharad Davies. Also touring from Glasgow to the ICA, London, as a vocalist with a composed vocal piece by Yas Clarke called The Thicket.
Radio receiver explorations – Svalbard Arctic
ACE funding for a DYCP research project called Geological Time and Stone turntable has allowed her to more hands on with material/rock. The research encompassed work on the Lizard Cornwall with choreographer Kyra Norman. Watch here and research in Greenland.
@shirley.pegna
Aboard the Skydancer on the West coast of Greenland with the shotgun mic
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