Fiona Fraser

(****-****). Actress. Performed the one-woman show A Woman’s World – And Other Troubles. Played “Hester” in Equus, in Home at the Baxter Theatre and in Letters of Love, Lust and Living. (SACD 1973) (SACD 1975/76) (SACD 1979/80) (SACD 1980/81)

FRASER, Fiona (1928-2006) Actress, writer, director and teacher. Born in London, England, where she began her theatrical career which included appearances in the West End, radio, television and film. Came to South Africa in 1956, where she met, worked with and later married the radio personality and critic Bill Brewer. Worked for various companies, including Taubie Kushlick, the Cockpit Players and PACT. Stage roles in Leonard Schach’s Cockpit Players production of Basil Warner’s Try for White (1958?), The Marriage-Go-Round (Taubie Kushlick’s production, the Intimate Theatre, 1959), William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker (Cockpit Players, the Playhouse in 1961), Two for the Seesaw (Cockpit Players, Cape Town, 1961), John Fernald’s production of The Cherry Orchard (PACT, Alexander Theatre, 19631962/1963?), King Lear (PACT, 196*), ** . With her husband Bill Brewer she also wrote texts for and performed on radio during the early years (including the popular ***). In later years she focused on television and film work, such as Egoli, the "Dot and Tchalie" Ithuba adverts, 37 Honey Street, 102 Paradise Lane, For Sale and Bentley. Having gained her LTCL from Trinity College, London, she also taught speech and drama and later became a Fellow of the College (becoming the vocal coach for the films Sarafina and Cry the Beloved Country for example).

Wrote several literary reviews which were presented by PACT and other managements and in later years wrote and performed a popular one woman show Growing Old Disgracefully. Became one of the Star's team of television critics and ran regular seminars on presentation skills and communication techniques. At the age of 73 obtained a B.A. Honours in English Literature from UNISA. Has one daughter, Thandi.

FRASER, Fiona. She starred in Leonard Schach’s Cockpit Players production of Basil Warner’s Try for White, which opened at the Pretoria Opera House before moving to the Intimate Theatre for the remainder of their highly successful run. It also starred Nigel Hawthorne, Zoë Randall, Michael Turner and Marjorie Gordon, Joyce Grant. Grant and Fraser replaced Minna Millsten and Heather Lloyd-Jones respectively, from the Cape Town cast. She starred in The Marriage-Go-Round, which was directed by Taubie Kushlick and staged at the Intimate Theatre in September 1959. Also starring Gordon Mulholland and Peggy Moran. She starred in Leonard Schach’s Cockpit Players production of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker at the Playhouse in 1961, with Reinet Maasdorp. She starred in Two for the Seesaw, which the Cockpit Players staged in Cape Town in 1962. It also starred John Hayter. She starred in John Fernald’s production of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard which was staged for PACT at the Alexander Theatre in 1963. It also starred Siegfried Mynhardt, Jenny Laird, Arthur Hall, Estelle Kohler and Patrick Mynhardt. She starred in Taubie Kushlick’s production of Forty Carats at the Alexander Theatre in 1971. It also starred Gordon Mulholland, Glynis Johns and James Leith. She starred in Pieter Toerien’s production of Peter Shaffer’s Equus which was directed by Leonard Schach. It also starred British actors John Fraser and Dai Bradley together with locals Kim Braden , Anne Courtneidge and Michael Howard at the Civic Theatre in 1975. (Tucker, 1997).

FRASER, Fiona, The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (Australian comedy-drama)by Ray Lawler, presented by NTO, Marjorie Gordon, Edward Ogden & Bill Brewer. Frank Graves (décor), 1958. Later changes: Joan Blake, Jane Fenn, Elspeth Bryce, Nigel Hawthorne, Eveline Garratt, Robert Cheetham, Doreen Graves (Costumes).

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