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Angelique Rockas
Angelique Rockas in the role of Medea
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, most notable for introducing London to its first multi-racial and multi-national theatre productions in the 1980s. Rockas founded Internationalist Theatre in the UK with patron Athol Fugard The theater featured multi-racial casts in classical plays, breaking racial barriers that were once accepted norms for theatrical performances.

Early life

Rockas was born and raised in Boksburg, South Africa to Greek parents who had emigrated from Greece with hopes of finding a better life. She had three siblings, followed Orthodox Christian traditions, and was taught to honor her Greek cultural heritage. She received her early education at St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls, Boksburg,and later earned a BA honours degree in English literature with a major in philosophy at the University of the Witwatersrand. After earning her degree, Rockas went on to complete an acting course at the Drama School of the University of Cape Town under the direction of Robert Mohr.

A young activist, Rockas appeared on the June 1970 front page of the Star with a group of debutantes raising funds for Saheti School, a Greek school located in Germiston, South Africa. She also participated in a 25 March Greek War of Independence Poetry Celebration with George Bizos. Bizos nicknamed her “l’enfant terrible” for her resistance to the status quo, and became her role model leading up to her founding of the Internationalist Theatre.

Her activities as an anti-apartheid and feminist activist in “the then underdeveloped and extremely conservative” South Africa eventually motivated her move to the UK.

Acting career

Stage

In London, Rockas began acting under the direction of George Eugeniou at Theatro Technis where she participated in Greek classical productions including playing Io in a production of Prometheus Bound. She also performed under the name of Angeliki in dual language productions (Greek/English) based on improvisations about issues that touched the Greek Cypriot community, and the tragedy of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Attilas '74. The plays included Dowry with Two White Doves, Afrodite Unbound, A Revolutionary Nicknamed Roosevelt, Ethnikos Aravonas.

In 1982, she played the lead role in the stage play Medea by Euripides, directed by George Eugeniou at Theatro Technis.Reviewed by “The Times”, the critic Ned Chaillet was negative about the production`s attempt to be politically relevant , but noted that "the real story, the wrath of Medea spurned, is encouraged to erupt in the dangerous passions of Angelique Rockas. a stocky and .extremely threatening tragic heroine." The Sunday Telegraph`s RS comments on the "simple approach given her Medea by Angelique Rockas. Small, dark , fiercely agile, she and her two chorus women with the old nurse dominate the stage" .

Rockas played Miriam in the London premiere of Tennessee Williams`s In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel at the New End Theatre The performance was described as "spellbinding".Lindsay Anderson`s response is published In the South African Digest : "I thought you did that harsh, yet vulnerable, character extremely well...."

In 1984 Rockas broke casting cliches when as a "short, Latin-looking actress" she took on the role of Strindberg`s aristocratic Miss Julie. "... in past productions the title role has been played by infuriatingly unreal women who have done little to suggest the huge dimensions of the character which Angelique Rockas does here", noted Jo Stanley of The Morning Star, and continues with "... part of the fascination of the evening was wondering whether this husky- voiced powerful performer could bring it off. She did: superbly......her most original performance ." The Sunday Telegraph thought the actor playing Jean , Garry Cooper, was ideal casting but considered Rockas too old .

Rockas portrayed the concentration camp victim Emma in the Argentinian anti-junta political drama The Camp (1967 play) by Griselda Gambaro in 1981 . Reviewed by the iconic feminist Spare Rib Jenny Vaughan noted "Angelique Rockas`s Emma is electric ....so stunning that ..".the BBC Latin American Service commented on how she "masterfully incarnates the difficult role of Emma...the artist humiliated and mutilated by repression " ( encarna magistralmente el dificil papel de Emma ..al artista humilillado y mutilado por la repression,translated from the Spanish).

Rockas performed in several political classical productions presented by Internationalist Theatre in London from 1981 to 1985 : she played Carmen in The Balcony"fine performance..holds the attention "Yvette in Brecht`s Mother Courage and Her Children"Angelique Rockas`s pragmatic prostitute ...very good indeed " Julia Pascal and Tatiana in Gorky`s Enemies (play)"sensitively delineating both the aspirations and the fate of the more humane elements in the middle class".

She appeared in The F and H Play playing the Nurse at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. Rockas performed Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Tramshed Woolwich .

Film and television

On film, Rockas has appeared in secondary roles: the Maintenance Woman in Peter Hyams's Outland, Henrietta in The Witches directed by Nicolas Roeg, and as Nereida in Oh Babylon! directed by Costas Ferris.

In Greece she has played the lead role, Ms Ortiki in Thodoros Maragos's television series Emmones Idees with Vangelis Mourikis as Socratis.

New Theatre

In November 1980, Rockas set up the performance of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore by John Ford "it is something of a triumph. Naked passion is as raw under a three piece suit as draped in Renaissance brocades" and in which she played the lead part of Annabella. She financed the production "distinguished ..by its energy and confidence"and enlisted the then unknown Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod to direct and design the play to be performed at London's Half Moon Theatre and Theatre Space." which is not large,it is quite the reverse..But the stage space, or lack of it, proved what an excellent performance this is.. New Theatre has come up with a most impressive production ".

Internationalist Theatre

In April 1981, Rockas founded Internationalist Theatre to create a multi-racial and multi-national theatre company for actors living in London of any racial or national background, of any accent, performing drama classics as well as contemporary works not especially written for multi-racial and multi-national casts. It was first announced on 9 April 1981 in the Theatre News, page (2), by the editor of The Stage, describing the company's formation "to assert a multi-racial drama policy", with their performance of the revival of The Balcony by Jean Genet.

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.<

Archives

• The records of Rockas' work as an actress and founder/artistic director of Internationalist Theatre and correspondence with Joan Littlewood, Athol Fugard, Michael Meyer, George Bizos are held at the British Library under Western Manuscripts.
• The digital records of Rockas' work as an actress and theatre practitioner are held by the Scottish Theatre Archive supplemented by Angelique Rockas File: Visual Archive of theatre work, film work, and projects Flickr.
• Archive of Correspondence with film directors including: Elia Kazan, Derek Jarman, Lindsay Anderson, Costas Gavras,Julie Christie is now held at the British Film Institute BFI

• The National Archives (United Kingdom)
• Bertolt-Brecht-Archiv Akademie der Künste Informationen zu Angelique Rockas Gründerin der Theatercompagnie Internationalist Theatre

References

1. Dirk de Villiers (July 1983). Angelique Rockas founded Internationalst Theatre all races and nationalities. South African Digest. p. 66 – via google.com. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
2. Robert Conway (1988). British Alternative Theatre Directory Internationalist Theatre. J. Offord. pp. 27–28. ISBN 9780903931380. Retrieved 5 February 2019. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
3. British Theatre Directory editor (1990). "British Theatre directory Internationalist Theatre Entry". British Theatre Directory. p. 336. Retrieved 5 February 2019. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
4. "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
5. Documents Athol Fugard in British Library ,"Angelique Rockas Archives", "British Library".
6. "The Stage Second show by Genet multi-racial". British Newspaper Archive. 9 April 1981. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
7. Rosalind Carne (28 July 1982). "LIOLA". Financial Times.
8. Malcom Hay (7 May 1982). "Mother Courage review pg.69". Time Out. No. 611.
9. ^ "Angelique Rockas: Strong, Bold and Unafraid". Greek Reporter Europe. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
10. Heather Walker, ed. (10 August 2011). "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African.
11. University of Stellenbosch. "Robert Mohr" – via esat.sun.ac.za.
12. Esat (1976). "Die Effek van Gamma Strale directed by Robert Mohr". Die Effek van Gamma Strale – via esat.sun.ac.za.
13. "Debutantes for SAHETI". The Star. 5 June 1970 – via Internet Archive.
14. "BBC World Service Interview Archive:George Bizos". 29 July 2003 – via BBC World Service.
15. "Angelique Rockas: bold theatre pioneer". The South African. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
16. Evangelos Kordakis. "Angelique Rockas". hellenism.net. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
17. Petsalas,Anastassios (2008). "Angelique Rockas a Theatreo Technis Prometheus". Etudes Helleniques Vol 16 Issue 2-page 107.
18. "Theatro, Technis, London, Prometheus, Bound, Aeschyllus, Time Out" – via Internet Archive.
19. "Angelique Rockas/Angeliki Rockas a Theatro Technis". APGRD CLassics Centre Univ of Oxford.
20. Michael Caccoyiannis. "Michael Caccoyiannis documentary Attilas '74: The Rape of Cyprus". Documentary about the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus and subsequent illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus – via Vimeo.
21. "Brochure Celebrating 25th Anniversary of Theatro Technis". Theatro Technis. 1982 – via Internet Archive.
22. "Songs sung at Ethnikos Aravonas, Theatro, Technis" – via YouTube.
23. Christina Aresti (21 August 1980). "Angeliki Rockas: Anagnorisi tou Polipleurou Talentou tis". Parakiaki Haravgi – via Internet Archive.
24. http://www.theatrotechnis.com/
25. "Medea (1982)". APGRD. 1 January 1982. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
26. Ned Chaillet (21 January 1982). "Medea". The Times. No. 61137. Gale Group. p. 13.
27. Ned Chaillet Medea review pg. 13, issue 61137, Times Digital Archive 1785-2003 , "Medea "," Gale (publisher)", 21 January 1982. Also
28. RS Rosemary Say (24 January 1982). "Womens` Worlds pg. 12". The Sunday Telegraph. Gale Group.
29. RS 'Womens Worlds' review pg. 12 Telegraph Historical Archive 1855-2000 , " Womens Worlds"," Gale (publisher)", 24 January 1982 . Also
30. Archived Dirk de Villiers 'Tokyo Bar' review, "Angelique`s spellbinding performance", "The Star (South Africa)" , 21 July 1983. Retrieved on 2019--02-05
31. www.worldcat.org/title/south-african-digest/oclc/5312669
32. Lindsay Anderson on Tokyo Bar. South African Digest. July 1983. p. 66 – via google.com.
33. "Angelique Rockas:bold theatre pioneer". 10 August 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
34. http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000463543280 Angelique Rockas Miss Julie
35. RB Marriott (2 February 1984). "The Stage Miss Julie pg.16". The Stage. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
36. Jo Stanley (2 February 1984). "Profound Conflict pg.2". Morning Star.
37. Archived Jo Stanley Miss Julie review pg.2 ,"Profound Conflict " , "The Morning Star", 2 February 1984
38. Francis King Miss Julie review pg. 12 Telegraph Historical Archive 1855-2000 , " Miss Julie "," Gale (publisher)", 22 January 1982 . Also
39. http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000463543280 Angelique Rockas The Camp
40. "The Camp Spare Rib  : Viewer". JISC Journal Archives. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
41. Ann Morey (30 October 1981). "El Campo". BBC Latin American Service.
42. 'El Campo' in Vogue Mexico Carlos Louis Emmerich,"Angelique Rockas: Una actirz multi-plicada", "Vogue Mexico & Latin America", July 1992. Retrieved on 2019-02-05
43. John Leech (16 July 1981). "The Balcony". Where to Go.
44. Noah Piou (2017). "Digital Theatermaker Profile II: Jean Genet". Theatre Makers Dartmouth College – via dartmouth.edu.
45. "Mother Courage". CityLimits. 6 May 1982.
46. Paul Lewenstein (29 March 1985). "Enemies". Camden New Journal.
47. l.Herbert (1985). Enemies London Theatre Record. Vol. 5. London Theatre Record. p. 261. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
48. Joyce McMillan (1 September 1988). The Traverse Theatre story 1963-1988. Methuen Drama Performing Arts. p. 154. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
49. "Macbeth". Lady Macbeth. 1978 – via Internet Archive.
50. Glypt (2018). "Tramshed History". Glypt – via glypt.co.uk.
51. "The Witches". Rotten Tomatoes. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
52. Riazzoli, M. (2016). Cronologia del Cinema - Tomo 2 1961-1990. Cronologia del cinema (in Spanish). Youcanprint. p. 600. ISBN 978-88-926-2007-0. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
53. "Angelique Rockas film roles". BFI – via bfi.org.uk.
54. Archived Dimitris Gionis Arts `Emmones Idees` page 2,"Angeliki Roka" , "Eleftherotypia", 5 August 1992 . And also on .
55. "Greek TV Emmones Idees". Emmones Idees. October 1989 – via youtube.com.
56. "Screenshot British Newspaper Archives THE STAGE review of New Theatre Tis Pity". The Stage. September 1980 – via britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.
57. Marsaili Cameron (November 1980). "Tis Pity She`s A Whore". Gay News.
58. "Evening Standard reference to `Tis Pity". `Tis Pity She`s a Whore. March 2012 – via standard.co.uk.
59. Jeannie Somers (November 1980). "Tis Pity She`s a Whore". Australasian Express.
60. Ann Morey (1981). "BBC Latin American The Camp Multi Racial And Multi National". Griselda Gambaro The Camp – via Internet Archive.
61. Ann Morey (26 October 1981). "BBC Latin American The Camp Multi Racial And Multi National". BBC Latin American Service page 2 – via Internet Archive.
62. "British Newspaper Archive Screenshot The Stage Second show by Genet multi-racial No 3". britishnewspaperarchive.uk. The Stage. 9 April 1981.
63. Nicolas de Jongh (28 July 1982). "LIOLA". The Guardian – via Internet Archive.
64. Nicolas de Jongh (28 July 1982). "LIOLA review pg.10". The Guardian from Proquest Historical library – via proquest.com.

External links

• Angelique Rockas at IMDb
• Angelique Rockas on the British Film Institute website

• Biography
• Theatre
• Film
• South Africa

• Living people
• University of the Witwatersrand alumni
• University of Cape Town alumni
• Opposition to apartheid in South Africa
• British Christians
• British film actresses
• Greek film actresses
• South African actresses
• Women in theatre
• Theatre practitioners
• 20th-century English actresses
• 21st-century English actresses
• Actor-managers
• Actresses from London
• South African people of Greek descent
• People from Boksburg