Stephen Coan

COAN, Stephen (1950-) Theatre writer, journalist, poet.

Biography
He was born in London and has lived in South Africa since 1975.

Training
He was trained as a film editor.

Career
After leaving school he joined the British Broadcasting Corporation, first working as a researcher for BBC News before being trained as a film editor. He was initially employed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Johannesburg before joining an independent film production company. Coan moved to Pietermaritzburg in 1990 and joined the then Natal Witness.

In 2005 with Lindy Stiebel he prepared the Rider Haggard Trail pamphlet which inaugurated the KZN Literary Tourism trails series.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
During the Eighties he worked as a writer-director in film, television and the theatre.

His production of the play Stevie in Johannesburg marked his debut as a stage director.

Other productions included the Peter Shaffer double-bill The Private Ear and The Public Eye, Tom Stoppard's Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Stephen Gray's An Evening at the Vernes and his own play Kitchen Tea.

Awards, etc
His production of the play Stevie by Hugh Whitemore won several awards including the Breytenbach Epathlon for best director as well as a Vita award for best production for its run in Durban.

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