Angelique Rockas


Angelique Rockas is a South African Greek actress based in London. With her company Internationalist Theatre initially called New Internationalist Theatre) she was an instigator of multi-racial and multi-national theatre productions in the London of the 1980`s starting with The Balcony by Jean Genet.[1] In a letter of support Athol Fugard endorses the formation on an `internationalist theatre`.[2] Madeleine Jay of the BBC French Service in her broadcast review of The Balcony affirms the value of an internationalist theatre.[3] 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`.[4] Interviews with Rockas in print and online about the founding of Internationalist Theatre were published in Eleftherotypia,[5] The National Herald, [6] Vogue Mexico,[7] Dagens Nyheter,[8] The South African,[9] Hellenism.net, [10] and The GreekReporter. [11]

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`,[12] Euripides`s Medea [13] and in Strindberg`s Miss Julie.[14] Film roles include Henrietta in The Witches directed by Nicolas Roeg , and Nereida in `Oh Babylon!` directed by Costas Ferris.[15] Work on TV in the Greek language includes the lead role, Ms Ortiki, for ERT1 Television directed by Thodoros Maragos. [16]

Formative years in South Africa

Angelique was educated at St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls, Boksburg, South Africa .After matriculating she continued her studies at the University of Witwatersrand,studying for majors in English Literature and Politics. Her political studies were cut short when the local apartheid government MP,having seen a photograph of her on the front page of The Star, standing at the picket line of a Wits University anti-apartheid protest, telephoned her parents and expressed his surprise to find out that their daughter was against the government.

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

London and Theatro Technis

Work as an actress in London, UK started under the direction of George Eugeniou at Theatro Technis. Apart from participating in Greek classics like Medea and playing IO in Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus (both these Theatro Technis productions are listed on Wikipedia)[17] Angelique 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, Greek language only performances in Kato apo tis Keratsies, and Don Kamillo.[18]

Rockas first venture into production was setting up New Theatre to stage a production of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford. She finances the production and enlists Declan Donnellan to direct the play without a sub-plot. Apart from positive feedback from Lindsay Anderson, this production is also included on Wikipedia under Notable performances under 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.[19]

Internationalist Theatre

In April 1981 Internationalist Theatre is born 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, so aptly described by Ann Morey the BBC Latin American (now BBC Mundo) broadcaster as `transcending racial and cultural barriers`.[20]

Internationalist Theatre productions include: The Balcony by Jean Genet, June 1981, the British premiere of `The Camp` by Griselda Gambaro, Oct 1981, Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertholt Brecht, March 1982, the British premiere of the English language performance 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`s Richard Steel Theatre, March 1985.[21]

All Internationalist Theatre productions are listed on Wikipedia either under the dramatists`s name, or the title of the play.

Coda

Rockas now works on her own film projects with Contemptus Mundi Films. She has resumed her activism campaigning for Greece, Women's rights, and anti-war, via the groups she created and curates on LinkedIn and her Twitter account.

References

  1. ↑ "The Stage, Theatre News Multiracial Casting Policy". 9 April 1981. p. 2 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ↑ "Athol Fugard Endorses Internationalist Theatre". April 1981 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ↑ "Why An International Theatre". BBC French. 30 June 1981 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ Micheline Wandor (19 October 1981). "Internet Casting". Time Out (magazine) – via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ Dimitris Gionis (August 1992). "Interview ` Eleutherotipia` Greece Angelique Rockas" – via Internet Archive.
  6. ↑ Ari Papadopoulos (July 1993). "Angelique Rockas 1005". National Herald USA – via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ Luis Carlos Emmerich (July 1992). "Vogue Mexico Interview Angelique Rockas Multi Faceted Actress Spanish and English". Vogue Mexico – via Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ Dagens Nyheter (26 Jan 1984). "Dagens_Nyheter_review Miss_Julie_Internationalist_Theatre" (in Swedish) – via Internet Archive.
  9. ↑ "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African. 10 August 2011.
  10. ↑ Evangelos Kordakis. "Angelique Rockas". hellenism.net.
  11. ↑ Stella Tsolakidou (21 May 2012). "Angelique Rockas: Strong, Bold and Unafraid". greekreporter.com.
  12. ↑ Ann Morey (26 October 1981). "The Camp-Gambaro". BBC Latin American Service – via Flickr - Photo Sharing!.
  13. ↑ "Reviews Angelique Rockas Medea". Jan 1982 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Angelique Rockas". BFI.
  16. ↑ "Extracts From Emmones Idees With Angelique Rockas As Ms Ortiki" – via Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ "Theatro,Technis,London,Prometheus,Bound,Aeschyllus,Time,Out" – via Internet Archive.
  18. ↑ "Angelique Rockas/Angeliki Rockas". theatricalia.com.
  19. ↑ "New,Theatre,Tis,Pity,Declan,Donnellan,1980,Lindsay,Anderson" – via Internet Archive.
  20. ↑ "BBC Latin American The Camp Multi Racial And Multi National". 1981 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ↑ "Internationalist Theatre (originally called New Internationalist Theatre )". theatricalia.com.


External links

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