Born in Stoke-on-Trent in 1959, Pugh agreed with his parents to train as a drama teacher, and, at the start of his career, was a theatre producer three days a week and a supply teacher in Hackney in London for four days a week.[2]
Between 1996 and 2019 Pugh produced a number of important plays in the UK and worldwide with his production partner, Dafydd Rogers.[3]
Pugh and Rogers produced the jukebox musical The Blues Brothers, which played in London's West End for four separate seasons, toured throughout the world for fifteen years and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment.[7]
Pugh and Rogers then produced Equus in London's West End, which starred Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe and played a sell-out season at the Gielgud Theatre.[11]
The production of God of Carnage by Yazmina Reza, again translated by Christopher Hampton, played at the Gielgud Theatre and starred Ralph Fiennes, Tamsin Greig, Janet McTeer and Ken Stott, also won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.[12][13]
Pugh and Rogers' production of Calendar Girls by Tim Firth, opened in 2009 in London's West End and became the most successful UK touring play of all time, grossing over 35 million pounds and winning the Whatsonstage Theatre Award.[17]
On 2 February 2013, Pugh and Rogers' production of a new play adaptation of the film The Full Monty by its original writer, Simon Beaufoy, opened at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield to enormous critical success,[18] and followed by a tour of the UK and Ireland which continued through until May 2019 having won the UK Theatre Award for Best Touring Production[19][20][circular reference]
Pugh and Rogers' new musical, The Girls, by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth was tried out at Leeds Grand Theatre and The Lowry, Manchester, where it received five star reviews and broke box office records. The Girls opened in London's West End, where it ran for six months and now, retitled Calendar Girls The Musical, the production has embarked on a 60-week national tour.[21]
The Band, the Take That musical, written by Tim Firth and co-produced by Pugh and Rogers with Take That, opened at Manchester Opera House in September 2017, becoming the fastest selling musical of all time and received rave reviews and toured very successfully throughout the United Kingdom until March 2019, including a season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London's West End.[22]
Just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pugh and Rogers had produced a highly acclaimed production of Willy Russell's Educating Rita, which was curtailed by lockdown. But as soon as open air theatre was allowed, Pugh presented his production at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, making worldwide news as at that time he was the only producer anywhere in the world producing a play.
Most recently, Pugh produced Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine, starring Sheridan Smith, at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End. During the 16-week season from February 2023 until June 2023[23] every seat and every standing place was sold at every performance, and the show was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Revival and Best Actress for Sheridan Smith.[24]