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Angelique Rockas

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Angelique Rockas
Angelique Rockas as Medea
Angelique Rockas in the role of Medea at Theatro Technis London
EducationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town
Occupation(s)Actress: stage and film, theatre practitioner and founder of Internationalist Theatre
Years active1978–present
Angelique Rockas as Miss Julie, and Garry Cooper as Jean in Strindberg's Miss Julie, Internationalist Theatre

Angelique Rockas (born in Boksburg, South Africa)[1] is an actress, producer and activist. Rockas founded Internationalist Theatre in the UK with patron Athol Fugard.[2] The company featured multi-racial and multi-national productions of great European classics starting in 1981.[3][4][5][6][7] "a historic example of theatre work addressing representation in the most valuable manner"[8] As an actress Rockas played roles that challenged casting cliches.[9]

Career

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Stage

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"Rockas attracted admiration as an actress for her strong interpretation of roles".[10]:Medea (play) with Theatro Technis[11][12][13] 'Miss Julie' with her own company Internationalist Theatre.[14][15] Other key performances are: Emma in The Camp by Griselda Gambaro [16][17]and Annabella in 'Tis Pity She`s a Whore'[18] which was also Rockas`s first theatre production under the banner of 'New Theatre' directed by Declan Donnellan ,and now listed as one of the major productions of Tis Pity for the decade of the 1980`s in the 20th century [19]

Further stage roles include Carmen in 'The Balcony' ,[20] Yvette in 'Mother Courage ' ,[21]Miriam in 'In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel' ,[22][23] Lady Macbeth , Tatiana in Gorky`s 'Enemies'. [24][25]

Work at London`s Theatro Technis under the name of Angeliki : Io in 'Prometheus Bound',[26] Myrrhine in 'Lysistrata', Paphlagoonia in the adaptation of Aristophanes 'The Knights' 'Oh Democracy', 'Dowry with 2 White Doves',[27] and Kyproula in 'The National Engagement',[28] all directed by George Eugeniou.[29]

At the British Library

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The National Archives (United Kingdom)

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  • [7] Angelique Rockas

Film and Television

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She played Ms Ortiki in Thodoros Maragos[30] TV Film 'Emmones Idees' on Greek television ERT.[31]

Films:

Angelique Rockas as Annabella 'Tis PIty she's a Whore, New Theatre, directed by Declan Donnellan

Prelude

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As stated in the British Library archives Rockas first production was Ford`s `Tis Pity She`s a Whore ` under the name of New Theatre in 1980 and was a prelude to her creating Internationalist Theatre. Declan Donnellan was commissioned to direct the play. "it is something of a triumph. Naked passion is as raw under a three piece suit as draped in Renaissance brocades".[32] She herself portrayed Annabella as a sinister teenager and not the compliant passive beauty.[33] Various accents from a Scottish, American and South African cast mixed seamlessly in this production as a start to the challenge of contemporary theatre mores [34]

Productions of Internationalist Theatre

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The company was first named New Internationalist Theatre then changed to Internationalist Theatre[35][36]

  • In May 1982 at London`s Theatre Space Internationalist Theatre staged a multi-racial production [37]of `Mother Courage and Her Children` by Bertolt Brecht

", , whose attack on the practice of war could not— with South Atlantic news filling the front pages— have been more topical.." [38]"The cast ..is made of experienced actors from all over the world and perhaps their very cosmopolitanism helps to bring new textures to a familiar dish ." [39] Breaking racial casting barriers: Why is a Pakistani actor playing the role of the Pastor ? was the question posed by Time Out Magazine critic Malcolm Hay [40]

  • In October 1981 Internationalist Theatre mounted a multi-racial staging of the 'The Camp' by Griselda Gambaro [41]
  • In July 1982 in London`s Bloomsbury Theatre Fabio Perselli directed the first English language performance of 'Liola' by Luigi Pirandello. [42][43]with Internationalist Theatre`s multi-racial cast [44] "It opened with a satiety of womens` gossip. some of it not very easy to follow with the various accents of the New Internationalist Theatre. But it picked up wonderfully. The pleasures of the performance with its occasional songs based on ballads and tarantellas , lay in the village vitality, the lusty folk element. .and the children romped about deliciously. A very good evening of an unusual kind."[45]
  • In June 1981 Internationalist Theatre revived 'The Balcony' by Jean Genet in London`s Theatre Space with a multi-racial cast .[46] Ellen Thomas played Irma and Angelique Rockas Carmen [47]
  • In January 1984 the Internationalist Theatre`s production of August Strindberg`s 'Miss Julie' was characterized by the disruption of ethnic preconceptions with a "small,dark" Angelique Rockas depicting the title part in a performance of great depth[48]
  • In March 1983 Internationalist Theatre presented a multi-ethnic UK premiere of Tennessee Williams` 'In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel' at London`s New End Theatre .[49]
  • In March 1985 Ann Pennington directed a multi-national production of Maxim Gorky`s 'Enemies' in association with Internationalist Theatre , in London. One critic saw a parallel between the workers uprising in Enemies and the Miners Strike that had been running in the UK since 1984 " it is about the miners strike " UK miners' strike (1984–85).[50] Gorky`s "pseudo-populism" is done away with in this production by the actors speaking "without distinctive accents and consequently without populist sentiment" .Designed by Paul Brown , the cast included Madlena Nedeva, Nick Ellsworth, Angelique Rockas and Marilyn Flynn [51]

Personal life

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Rockas is a Greek Orthodox Christian.[52] She continues her activism on several internet websites where she counteracts attacks on Christianity, offers free online education material , defends womens`, Palestinian[53] and Greek rights [54]

References

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  1. ↑ "Angelique Rockas - ESAT".
  2. ↑ "Athol Fugard Letter 1". 28 September 2017.
  3. ↑ The Stage Editorial April 1981Stage Editorial (1981-04-09). "Multi-racial Genet". The Stage – via Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ Practitioner Focus: Angelique Rockas https://www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk/practical/article/practitioner-focus-angelique-rockas Drama and Theatre October 2021
  5. ↑ "Michelene Wandor's preview for Time Out of Griselda Gambaro's the Camp, issue 583,pg.90, date 23-30 October 1981".
  6. ↑ Profile http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceArchive/110078562
  7. ↑ "The South African Interview Angelique Rockas Bold Theatre Pioneer 4".
  8. ↑ Drama and Theatre Oct 2021 https://archive.today/20211016134435/https://www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk/opinion/article/editorial-autumn-term-2-2021-22
  9. ↑ "The South African (Print Edition) Intview Angelique Rockas".
  10. ↑ BFI archive profile http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceArchive/110078562
  11. ↑ https://ia802802.us.archive.org/25/items/timesreviewofmedeajpg/The Times review of Medea by Ned Chaillet 21 Jan 1982 Times Dogital archive Gale.png
  12. ↑ "Sunday Telegraph Medea Womens Worlds".
  13. ↑ http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/archive/Gen-Col/Eur/Eur.Med.1982%283038%29/15338
  14. ↑ "Morning Star Profound Conflict Article".
  15. ↑ "The Stage review of 'Miss Julie' RB Marriott".
  16. ↑ "El Campo Review by Spare Rib Section 4 Digital Archive".
  17. ↑ "Vogue Mexco Interview Angelique Rockas in 4 pages, July 1992".
  18. ↑ "The Stage 'Tis Pity She's a Whore' New Theatre, Declan Donnellan".
  19. ↑ Ford, John (29 May 2014). Tis Pity She's a Whore. ISBN 9781408144329.
  20. ↑ "Taylor Made Theatre the Stage Ann Morley Priestman".
  21. ↑ https://archive.org/details/CityLImitsReviewOfMotherCourageByJuliaPascal
  22. ↑ "Spellbinding Tokyo Bar the Star".
  23. ↑ "Lindsay Anderson Letter Tokyo Bar".
  24. ↑ "Paul Lewenstein's review of Gorky's ' Enemies' for Camden New Journal March 1985".
  25. ↑ "Angelique Rockas | Theatricalia".
  26. ↑ "Prometheus Bound at Theatro Technis Wikipedia and review by Time Out 1979".
  27. ↑ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=angelique rockas&retrievecountrycounts=false
  28. ↑ "Andreas Markos and Angelique Rockas in Ethnikos Aravonas".
  29. ↑ "Angelique Rockas/Angeliki Rockas | Theatricalia".
  30. ↑ https://greekreporter.com/2024/04/02/teacher-arcadia-rethinking-modern-greece/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=GreekReporter Daily News: Domestic Violence: Men Are Victims Too&utm_campaign=20240402_m180432022_GreekReporter Daily News Simple&utm_term=Read More
  31. ↑ "Eleftherotypia Arts Page Angelique Rockas (Top half)".
  32. ↑ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=the stage tis pity she`s a whore 1980 ann morley priestman&retrievecountrycounts=false
  33. ↑ The Stage, Ann Morley Priestman
  34. ↑ Cast List
  35. ↑ Practitioner focus: Angelique Rockas | Drama And Theatre https://www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk/practical/article/practitioner-focus-angelique-rockas
  36. ↑ "This is a historic example of theatre work addressing representation in the most valuable manner". Editorial by Sarah Lambie https://www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk/opinion/article/editorial-autumn-term-2-2021-22...
  37. ↑ Perfomers list at Bertolt-Brecht-Archiv ,Akademie der Künste, Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder , Internationalist Theatre [1]
  38. ↑ Drama:The Quarterly Theatre Review, Issues 139-154, pg 32 , 1982
  39. ↑ Richard Ingham, Where to go, May 13 , 1982
  40. ↑ Time Out, May 1982, Review of Mother Courage by Malcolm Hay
  41. ↑ [2]Review by Spare Rib
  42. ↑ https://archive.org/details/daily-telegraph-deceit-in-a-sicilian-village-harold-atkins Press File Liola
  43. ↑ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1950-01-01/1999-12-31?basicsearch=bloomsbury internationalist liola stage july 1982&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&newspapertitle=the+stage
  44. ↑ <https://theatricalia.com/play/e20/liola/production/wb5 Press release by the director Fabio Perselli
  45. ↑ Harold Atkins (28 July 1982). "Deceit in an Italian Village". The Daily Telegraph.
  46. ↑ The Stage Editorial [3]
  47. ↑ The Stage, Taylormade Theatre , Ann Morley-Priestman , pg 12 , 23 JUly 1981 [4]
  48. ↑ Press File: Miss Julie https://archive.org/details/profoundconflictreviewbyjostanleyinmorningstarofmissjulie2feb1984_202001
  49. ↑ Press File: In The Bar of a Tokyo Hotel https://archive.org/details/southafricangovdigestlindsayandersononrockasperformance_202001
  50. ↑ BBC Russian Service, review of 'Enemies' by Zinovi Zinik, March 1985 https://archive.org/details/bbcrussianservicereviewgorkyenemiespage1a_202002
  51. ↑ "Paul Lewenstein review of Enemies for Camden News Journal".
  52. ↑ Hellenism.net Interview https://quotepark.com/authors/angelique-rockas/quotes-about-christ/
  53. ↑ "At home and abroad, Christian Palestinians under attack by Israel and its apologists". 24 May 2014.
  54. ↑ see Wikidata and https://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Angelique_Rockas

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