Angelique Rockas

Angelique Rockas
Angelique Rockas in the role of Medea at Theatro Technis London
Education	University of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town
Occupation(s)	Actress: stage and film, theatre practitioner and founder of Internationalist Theatre
Years active	1978–present

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

Career

Film and Television

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

Films:

• 'OH BABYLON' directed by Costas Ferris roles of Nereida, and party reveller
• The Witches (1990 movie) directed by Nicolas Roeg , role of Henrietta,
• Outland (movie) directed by Peter Hyams, role of Maintenance Woman.

Prelude

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". She herself portrayed Annabella as a sinister teenager and not the compliant passive beauty. 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

Productions of Internationalist Theatre

The company was first named New Internationalist Theatre then changed to Internationalist Theatre

• In May 1982 at London`s Theatre Space Internationalist Theatre staged a multi-racial production 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.." "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 ." 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

• In October 1981 Internationalist Theatre mounted a multi-racial staging of 'The Camp' by Griselda Gambaro
• In July 1982 in London`s Bloomsbury Theatre Fabio Perselli directed the first English language performance of 'Liola' by Luigi Pirandello. with Internationalist Theatre`s multi-racial cast "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."
• In June 1981 Internationalist Theatre revived 'The Balcony' by Jean Genet in London`s Theatre Space with a multi-racial cast . Ellen Thomas played Irma and Angelique Rockas Carmen
• 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
• 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 .
• 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). 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

Personal life

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

References

Other websites

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angelique Rockas.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Angelique Rockas

• Angelique Rockas on IMDB
• Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer | The South African
• Angelique Rockas and Internationalist Theatre London Theatre Archive
• Angelique Rockas on Pinterest
• Vogue Mexico Interview with Angelique Rockas
• The South African Interview with Angelique Rockas
• The Complete Unpublished Extract Of Angelique Rockas` South African Journey Used As Basis For Interview With The South African"
• UK National Portrait Gallery - Angelique Rockas