Angelique Rockas

Angelique Rockas

Angelique Rockas as Medea

Angelique Rockas in the role of Medea (1982)
Occupation Actress , founder of Internationalist Theatre
Years active 1978-present

Angelique Rockas is the South African Greek London based actress, who with her company Internationalist Theatre (initially called New Internationalist Theatre )[1] instigated multi-racial and multi-national theatre productions in the London of the 1980`s, beginning with a revival of The Balcony by Jean Genet.[2] In a letter of support Athol Fugard endorses the formation of "internationalist theatre" and accepts to be a member of the company`s advisory board.[3] Madeleine Jay in her BBC French Service (part of BBC World Service )broadcast review of The Balcony affirms the value of an internationalist theatre.[4] Michelene Wandor in her preview for Time Out of the company`s performance of Griselda Gambaro`s The Camp describes the company`s "internationalist casting policy " as an "exciting risk".[5] Interviews with Rockas in print and online about the founding of Internationalist Theatre were published in Eleftherotypia, [6] The National Herald, [7] Vogue Mexico,[8] Dagens Nyheter,[9] the Cape Argus,[10] The South African,[11] Hellenism.net, [12] and The Greek Reporter. [13]

As an actress, Rockas first came to the public`s attention for her portrayal of the roles of Emma in Griselda Gambaro`s The Camp, "encarna magistralmente el dificil papel de Emma",[14][15] Tom Vaughan of The Morning Star described her performance as `searing` and of `great power`,[16] Jenny Vaughan of Spare Rib described her perforamnce as `stunning` and `electrifying`,[17][18] as Euripides`s Medea, Ned Chaillet, writing for The Times was struck by the wrath of Medea erupting in "the dangerous passions of Angelique Rockas ", and Rosemary Say of The Sunday Telegraph lauded Rockas` performance as "fiercely agile ";,[19] Camden Scanner declares "Angelique Rockas in the central part gives us a barefoot performance of great power",[20][Link to Live performance of Angelique Rockas as Medea ];[21] in the title role of August Strindberg `s Miss Julie her portrayal impresses not only for the "huge dimensions of the character" suggested, but also "Ms Rockas` performance adds profundity and power .. most original performance", Jo Stanley of the Morning Star[22]

Rockas` film roles include Henrietta in The Witches directed by Nicolas Roeg , and Nereida in Oh Babylon! directed by Costas Ferris.[23] Her work on TV in the Greek language includes the lead role, Ms Ortiki in Thodoros Maragos`s Emmones Idees, broadcast in 1989, with Vangelis Mourikis as Socratis.[24]

Formative years in South Africa

Rockas was educated at St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls, Boksburg, where she first met the 'legendary' Barbara Hogan one year younger than her . After matriculating, she continued her studies at the University of Witwatersrand studying for majors in English Literature and Politics and where she renewed her acquaintance with Hogan. Her political studies were cut short when the local MP, having seen a photograph of her at the picket line of a Wits University anti-apartheid protest on the front page of the Gauteng Star newspaper, telephoned her parents and expressed his surprise to find out that their daughter was against the country's apartheid government. Angelique`s next appearance on the front page of the Star was under very different circumstances; as one of the debutantes to raise funds for SAHETI, the first internationally acknowledged Greek School outside Greece.[25] She wore this same dress (worn in the Star photograph) for her portrayal of Miss Julie later in the Internationalist Theatre London production of Miss Julie in 1984.[26]

In her third year at Wits, Rockas participated in a 25 March Greek War of Independence Poetry Celebration with George Bizos the Greek South African lawyer who was Mandela`s defence attorney.[27] Bizos would in the future be one of the constitutional lawyers of South Africa's new Constitution. In later years, from London, Rockas would send Bizos a book on EU law for his Legal Resources Centre, which Bizos warmly welcomed.[28]

Having completed an honours degree in English Literature and majoring in philosophy, Angelique went on to do an acting course at the Drama School of the University of Cape Town, obtained an Equity card for a SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation ) short on The Waste Land by T. S. Elliot, then left South Africa for the United Kingdom.

London and Theatro Technis

Rockas began to act in London under the direction of George Eugeniou at Theatro Technis. Apart from participating in Greek classics like Medea,[29] and playing IO in Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.[30] She has also performed under the name of Angeliki Rockas, in dual language productions (Greek/English) based on improvisations about issues that touched the Greek Cypriot community. The plays included Dowry with Two White Doves, Afrodite Unbound, A Revolutionary Nicknamed Roosevelt, Ethnikos Aravonas, and Greek language only performances of Kato apo tis Keratsies, and Don Kamillo.[31] Angelique`s first UK press interview about her work with George Eugeniou and Theatro Technis was with Parikiaki Haravgi(now Parikiaki) in August 1980.[32]

Rockas first venture into production was setting up New Theatre in November 1980 to stage a production of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford in which she played the lead part of Annabella. She financed the production herself and enlisted Declan Donnellan to direct the play without a sub-plot and in modern dress to be performed at London`s Half Moon Theatre and Theatre Space.The inspiration for how to tackle the `Tis Pity production came from Tadeusz Kantor`s current production of 'Wielepole, Wielepole' showing at London`s Riverside Studios ,and proved a starting point of discussion between Donnellan and Rockas `.[33] `Tis Pity was received favourably by Lindsay Anderson.[34][35]

Internationalist Theatre

Garry Cooper (Jean) and Angelique Rockas (Miss Julie), in Strindberg'Miss Julie (Internationalist Theatre, 1994)

In April 1981, Internationalist Theatre was is founded to create a theatre company for actors living in London from a multi-racial or multi-national background, of various accents, performing drama classics as well as contemporary works not especially written for multi-racial and multi-national casts, described by Ann Morey the BBC Latin American (now BBC Mundo) broadcaster as "transcending racial and cultural barriers".,.[36][37]

Productions that Angelique Rockas invigilated for Internationalist Theatre include: The Balcony by Jean Genet (June 1981); the first British premiere of any work by Latin America`s great woman dramatist Griselda Gambaro , and in this instance that of 'The Camp' (October 1981); Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht (March 1982); the British premiere of Liola by Luigi Pirandello (July 1982); the British premiere of In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel by Tennessee Williams (May 1993); Miss Julie by August Strindberg (January 1994); and Enemies by Maxim Gorky a production with Ann Pennington (March 1985).[38]

In conclusion, apart from pioneering multi-racial and multi-national drama in London, Internationalist Theatre can, as Nicholas de Jongh in his Guardian review of Liola points out, be given credit for staging dramatists like Pirandello, Genet, Tennessee Williams who belong to "the continental, non-realistic, symbolically orientated drama of this century (20th) and..proved most uncongenial to the tunnel visioned repertoire builders"[39]

Rockas`s work as an actress in Internationalist Theatre productions include: Carmen (in Genet's The Balcony),[40] Yvette (in Brecht's Mother Courage),[41] Miriam (Tennessee Williams In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel),[42][43] and Tatiana (in Maxim Gorki's Enemies),.[44]

Coda

Angelique Rockas works on her own film projects with Contemptus Mundi Films and collaborates on projects that are of moral or political significance. She is an Orthodox Christian and has resumed her activism campaigning for Greece, Women's rights, and anti-war, via the groups she has created and curates on LinkedIn[45] and her Twitter account.

Archives

Prometheus Bound http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/productions/production/2885 ]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Letter of Athol Fugard". April 1981 – via Internet Archive. I have made a note to look around in N.Y. for a play suitable for N.I.T
  2. ↑ "The Stage, Theatre News Multiracial Casting Policy". 9 April 1981. p. 2 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ↑ "Athol Fugard Endorses Internationalist Theatre, Accepts to be Member of Advisory Board". April 1981 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ "Why An International Theatre". BBC French. 30 June 1981 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ Micheline Wandor (19 October 1981). "Internationalist Casting". Time Out (magazine) – via Internet Archive.
  6. ↑ Dimitris Gionis (August 1992). "Interview ` Eleutherotipia` Greece Angelique Rockas" – via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ Ari Papadopoulos (July 1993). "Angelique Rockas 1005". National Herald USA – via Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ Luis Carlos Emmerich (July 1992). "Vogue Mexico Interview Angelique Rockas Multi Faceted Actress Spanish and English". Vogue Mexico – via Internet Archive.
  9. ↑ Dagens Nyheter (26 Jan 1984). "Dagens_Nyheter_review Miss_Julie_Internationalist_Theatre" (in Swedish) – via Internet Archive.
  10. ↑ Dirk de Villers (31 May 1983). "S.A.actress earns acccolade". Cape Argus – via Internet Archive.
  11. ↑ "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African. 10 August 2011.
  12. ↑ Evangelos Kordakis. "Angelique Rockas". hellenism.net.
  13. ↑ Stella Tsolakidou (21 May 2012). "Angelique Rockas: Strong, Bold and Unafraid". greekreporter.com.
  14. ↑ Ann Morey (26 October 1981). "Angelique as Emma in The Camp by Gambaro". BBC Latin American Service page 2 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ↑ Ann Morey (26 October 1981). "Angelique as Emma in The Camp by Gambaro". BBC Latin American Service page 1 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ↑ The Morning Star (Oct 1981). "Searing and of great power". The Camp – via Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ Jenny Vaughan (Feb 1982). "El Campo (The Camp)". Spare Rib, Issue 115,pages 46–47 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ↑ Jenny Vaughan (February 1982). "Review of The Camp (El Campo)". Spare Rib (115): 46–47) – via British Library.
  19. ↑ Ned Chaillet; Rosemary Say (Jan 1982). "Reviews Angelique Rockas Medea". The Times and The Sunday Telegraph – via Internet Archive.
  20. ↑ "Medea at Theatro Technis". Camden SCanner. 28 February 1982 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ↑ "Live performance of Angelique Rockas as Medea". Medea. 1982 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ↑ Jo Stanley (January 1984). "Profound Conflict- Miss Julie". The Morning Star – via Internet Archive.
  23. ↑ "Angelique Rockas film roles". BFI.
  24. ↑ "Extracts From Emmones Idees With Angelique Rockas As Ms Ortiki" – via Internet Archive.
  25. ↑ "Debutantes for SAHETI". The Star. 5 June 1970 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ↑ "Miss Julie production Shot". 'Miss Julie'. Jan 1984 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ↑ "BBC World Service Interview Archive:George Bizos". 29 July 2003 – via BBC World Service.
  28. ↑ George Bizos (November 2002). "Letter to Angelique from George Bizos" – via Internet Archive.
  29. ↑ Tom Vaughan (28 Jan 1982). "Medea`s Revenge fit to stand beside the National`s "Oresteia"". The Morning Star – via Internet Archive.
  30. ↑ "Theatro,Technis,London,Prometheus,Bound,Aeschyllus,Time,Out" – via Internet Archive.
  31. ↑ "Angelique Rockas/Angeliki Rockas". Theatro Technis – via theatricalia.com.
  32. ↑ Christina Aresti (21 August 1980). "Angeliki Rockas: Anagnorisi tou Polipleurou Talentou tis". Parakiaki Haravgi – via theatricalia.com.
  33. ↑ Time Out (Magazine) (August 1980). "Tadeusz Kantor". Wielepole, Wielepole – via Internet Archive.
  34. ↑ "New,Theatre,Tis,Pity,Declan,Donnellan,1980,Lindsay,Anderson" – via Internet Archive.
  35. ↑ John Ford (November 1980). "'Tis Pity She's a Whore". New Theatre – via theatricalia.com.
  36. ↑ Ann Morey (1981). "BBC Latin American The Camp Multi Racial And Multi National". Griselda Gambaro The Camp – via Internet Archive.
  37. ↑ Ann Morey (26 October 1981). "Angelique as Emma in The Camp by Gambaro". BBC Latin American Service page 2 – via Internet Archive.
  38. ↑ "Internationalist Theatre (originally called New Internationalist Theatre )". theatricalia.com.
  39. ↑ Nicolas de Jongh (28 July 1982). "LIOLA". The Guardian – via Internet Archive.
  40. ↑ Where to Go (July 1981). "Review Balcony" – via Internet Archive.
  41. ↑ Julia Pascal (May 1982). "Review Balcony". City Limits – via Internet Archive.
  42. ↑ Dirk de Villiers (May 1983). "Review of `In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel`". The Star – via Internet Archive.
  43. ↑ Dirk De Villiers (17 May 1983). "Review `IN the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel: Dynamic Rockas Hailed`". Pretoria News – via Internet Archive.
  44. ↑ What`s On (March 1985). "Review Enemies" – via Internet Archive.
  45. ↑ "Angelique Rockas Linkedin Groups". 4 November 2016 – via Linkedin.com.
  46. ↑ Anthony Cross, ‘Hill, Dame Elizabeth Mary (1900–1996)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 20 April 2013

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.