Internationalist Theatre

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Renu Setna as Chaplain, Josephine Welcome as Kattrin, Margaret Robertson as Mother Courage, in Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, Internationalist Theatre

Internationalist Theatre is a London theatre company founded by South African Greek actress Angelique Rockas[1] in September 1980.[2] The company was originally named New Internationalist Theatre,[3][4] with an intention to pursue an internationalist[5] approach in its choice of plays as well as "a multi-racial drama policy, with an even mix of performers drawn from different cultural groups".[6] The theatre has received coverage from stage papers around the world.[7][8][9][10][11] It received charity status in 1986.[12]

Performances and reception

  • Griselda Gambaro`s The Camp (1967 play) [13] an anti-junta protest play which "relentlessly exposes and explores the psychology of fascism ..draws its political paralels by reference to Nazi concentration camps...…it`s incredible theatre: a powerful alternative to the marsh mellow media we usually get fed, Spare Rib."[14]The BBC Latin American Service commented on "espectacular debut..excelentemente actuado..Emma.. al artista humillado y mutilado por la repression...es en definitiva el grito primordial de Gambaro en esta impactante obra " (translation Emma .. the artist humiliated and mutilated by repression ... is the definitive primal cry of Gambaro in this impressive work)[15]
Angelique Rockas as Carmen with Okon Jones in Genet's The Balcony, Internationalist Theatre
  • Jean Genet (The Balcony)"a comment on power and political manoeuvre ..While the ruling classes,the icons and figureheads fiddle, society burns around them..." [16]the "production uses Theatre Space to its limits, Characters are not restricted to just the stage area; they leap out of the wall, appear from the audience so that there is no separation between the players and spectators , We are all voyeurs participating in Genet`s games. The surroundings of Theatre Space conspire to enhance the atmosphere of sleaze , a quality that eluded the last London production by the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company)." Michael Darvell

[17] [18].The BBC French Language service concurred :"L`atmosphere louche et malsaine est tres bien recreee par le New Internatlionalist theatre., Et s`ils sont aussi vivants et revelateurs les jeunes talents que on ne peut que s`en rejouir.. Ellen Thomas (actress) est pleine d`autorite dans le role de Madame Irma.".. [19]

  • Brecht (Mother Courage and Her Children), " whose attack on the practice of war could not- with south atlantic news filling the front pages- have been more topical...prompted the questions it should..."[20] and performed in a London basement theatre located in old disused Charing Cross hospital.Christopher Hudson of The Evening Standard noted that viewing three hours of Brecht in such an environment "might sound like noble endurance indeed. But the Internationalist Theatre production of Mother Courage at the Theatre Space is not to be so lightly dismissed". He goes on to comment on "the serious straight forward workmanlike performances by actors who are prepared to let the play speak for itself".[21][22]"The cast ..is made from experienced actors from all over the world, and perhaps their very cosmopolitanism helps to bring out new textures to a familiar dish " [23]
  • Luigi Pirandello (Liolà)" 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" noted The Daily Telegraph." 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."[24][25] "Il successo e stato particolarmente vivo e le recensioni della stampa molto positivo", Corriere della Sera.[26][27]
  • Tennessee Williams (In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel), "director Alkis Kritikos dug powerfully into the nature of these 4 characters.....Stewart Laing`s designs caught just the right feel of an expensive impersonal hotel...It was not a nice play, but the Internationalist Theatre players set up the bleakness of its atmosphere and held it taut!".[28]Lindsay Anderson `s reaction ,published on SA Digest:[29] "enjoyed the play `as a very characteristic and vibrant example of ...Williams` writing. The whole performance was very fine...". [30]
  • Strindberg (Miss Julie)[31] "I have not seen a better production of Strindberg`s "Miss Julie" than the Internationalist Theatre`s staging....It is wild and raw, steeped in emotion and dramatic drive,like the play itself, and reveals the aristocratic Julie and the servant Jean in all their vivid colouring and depth of corruption..."[32]Sweden`s Dagens Nyheter observed "Det blir ... en forestallning som ibland lyckas overflytta den Strindbergska till Hampstead . Specialkomponerad musik bidrar till atmosfaren." ( it will be a show that sometimes manages to move it from Strindbergska to Hampstead. Specially composed music contributes to the atmosphere)[33]The Sunday Telegraph noted that Garry Cooper playing Jean was like "a rare first edition .. the perfect embodiment of the character".[34]
  • Maxim Gorky (Enemies).[35] "this is a great revolutionary play, by a great revolutionary writer, performed with elegance and style, great passion and commitment", Morning Star.[36][37] The BBC Russian Service agreed .[38]"every member of the huge cast ...sensitively and unobtrusively deployed by their director , Ann Pennington, each one of whom deserves more than a line ot two of critical praise. A fine production of a great play- Don`t miss it!"[39]

Internationalist Theatre staged productions by dramatists including Pirandello, Genet, and 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" of British theatre of that period,Nicolas de Jongh, The Guardian.[40]

Though their critical reception was generally favourable, but not universally so ; Time Out magazine disliked Mother Courage, not only because "the actors are allowed to play their emotions full blast " but also ".. the casting only inspires a whole host of irreverent questions: what on earth, say, is an American sergeant doing in seventeenth century Europe? And how did a Pakistani chaplain get into the Swedish army?": an example of the resistance to diversity casting at this point of time to a theatre first of a multi-racial 'Mother Courage ' production .[41] The Pakistani actor referred to by Hay is the veteran Asian Parsi actor Renu Setna. The Financial Times also found Liolà's multi-national casting problematic : " do we really need this peculiar medley of Italian accents for the English premiere? The problem is compounded by the commitment ...to a multi-national cast ....English, German, Sicilian, and Italian actors produce widely differing versions of the Latin lilt"[42]


Rockas has also explained why Internationalist Theatre chose to stage several great political plays "The great British 1950`s theatre critic Ken Tynnan, described the theatre as “an independent force in the country`s life , a sleeping tiger that can and should be roused whenever the national (or international) conscience needs nudging”.[43]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dirk de Villiers (July 1983). Angelique Rockas founded Internationalst Theatre all races and nationalities. p. 66 – via google.com. {{cite book}}: |newspaper= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Robert Conway (1988). British Alternative Theatre Directory. J. Offord. pp. 27–28. ISBN 9780903931380.
  3. ^ British Theatre Directory editor (1990). "British Theatre directory Internationalist Theatre Entry". British Theatre Directory page 336 – via books.google.co.uk. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ https://archiv.adk.de/objekt/2583471
  5. ^ Archived Michelene Wandor preview of The Camp, issue 583, p.90, "The Camp", Time Out, 23 October 1981. Retrieved on 2019-02-07
  6. ^ "The Stage Second show by Genet multi-racial". British Newspaper Archive. 1981-04-09. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  7. ^ Archived Dimitris Gionis Eleftherotypia Arts page 1and 2 ,"Angeliki Roka" ,[1], "Eleftherotypia", 5 August 1992 . And also on [ http://archive.enet.gr].
  8. ^ Archived Aris Papadopoulos Angelique Rockas Internationalist Theatre,Ethnikos Kyrix 1 and 2," Artistic Odyssey from Africa to London" , [2], "The National Herald", 31 July 1993.
  9. ^ Luis Carlos Emmerich (July 1992). "Vogue Mexico Interview Angelique Rockas Multi Faceted Actress Spanish and English". Vogue Mexico – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African. 10 August 2011.
  11. ^ Evangelos Kordakis. "Angelique Rockas". hellenism.net.
  12. ^ Charity Commission (1986). "Internationalist Theatre granted Charity status" – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ ISNI 0000000463554836 Internationalist Theatre The Camp
  14. ^ "The Camp Spare Rib  : Viewer". JISC Journal Archives. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  15. ^ Archived Ann Morey BBC Latin American Service (now BBC Mundo) review pg 1 and 2 ,"El Campo", "El Campo", 26 October 1981.Retrieved on 2019-02-20
  16. ^ John Leech (16 July 1981). "The Balcony". Where To Go.
  17. ^ http://www.criticscircle.org.uk/drama/drama-members/
  18. ^ Michael Darvell (10 July 1981). "The Balcony". What`s On.
  19. ^ Archived Madeleine Jay BBC French Service(now BBC World Service) The Balcony review,Le Balcon,Le Balcon,30 June 1981
  20. ^ Mother Courage and Her Children. The Theatre Quarterly. 1982. p. 32 – via google.co.uk.
  21. ^ Christopher Hudson (6 May 1982). "Letting Mother take the Load". The Standard.
  22. ^ Archived Christopher Hudson Mother Courage review, "Letting Mother take the load", "Evening Standard", 6 May 1982. Also on [3]
  23. ^ Richard Ingham (13 May 1982). "Mother Courage". Where to Go.
  24. ^ Harold Atkins (28 July 1982). "Deceit in an Italian Village". The Daily Telegraph. Gale Group.
  25. ^ Harold Atkins Liola review Telegraph Historical Archive 1855-2000 , " Deceit in an Italian Village"," Gale (publisher)", 28 July 1982 . Also [4]
  26. ^ Access to archived Liola review ,In lingua inglese le parole del Sud:piace a Londra Liola in teatro, "Corriere della Sera ", 30 July 1982.
  27. ^ "piace a Londra Liolà in teatro". Corriere della Sera. 20 July 1982 – via Internet Archive.
  28. ^ Ann Nugent (November 1983). "British Newspaper Archive The Stage review of In the Bar of a TokyoHotel,The Battle for Riches". The Stage – via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
  29. ^ www.worldcat.org/title/south-african-digest/oclc/5312669
  30. ^ Lindsay Anderson on Tokyo Bar. South African Digest. July 1983. p. 66 – via google.com.
  31. ^ Michael Robinson (2008). "An International Annotated Bibliography of Strindberg Studies section 12 1378" – via books.google.co.uk.
  32. ^ "The Stage Miss Julie pg.16". British Newspaper Archive. 2 February 1984. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
  33. ^ Hans-Ingvar Johnsson`s Dagens Nyheter Froken Julie review Dagens Nyheter Archive "Svensk satsning i London" , "Dagens Nyheter", 26th January 1984.
  34. ^ Francis King Miss Julie review pg. 14 Telegraph Historical Archive 1855-2000 , " Miss Julie "," Gale (publisher)", 22 January 1982 . Also on [5]
  35. ^ Theatre Record (March 1985). "Theatre Record Play index 05/p.0261 'Enemies ' 74/1207" (PDF). Theatre Record – via doollee.com.
  36. ^ Tom Vaughan (26 March 1985). "Enemies". Morning Star.
  37. ^ Tom Vaughan Morning Star Enemies review 26 March 1985 accessed at Marx Memorial Library London
  38. ^ Archived BBC Russia Service Enemies review [6] 30 March 1985
  39. ^ Paul Lewenstein Enemies archived review, "Enemies", "Camden New Journal", 29 March 1985.
  40. ^ Nicolas de Jongh (28 July 1982). "LIOLA review pg.10". The Guardian from Proquest Historical library – via proquest.com.
  41. ^ Malcolm Hay (13 May 1982). "Full Review of Mother Courage". Time Out magazine – via Internet Archive.
  42. ^ "Liola!/Bloomsbury Theatre". Financial Times. 28 July 1982 – via Internet Archive.
  43. ^ Vogue Mexico and Latin American interview

External links

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