Difference between revisions of "Vanessa Cooke"

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'''Vanessa Cooke''' (1948-****).  Actress, playwright and director.  
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'''Vanessa Cooke''' (1948-) is an actress, playwright and director.  
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
Vanessa is the daughter of [[Roy Cooke]].
 
  
=== Youth ===
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The daughter of [[Roy Cooke]], she studied at the [[University of the Witwatersrand]], completing a BA in English and History.
 
 
=== Training ===
 
She did a BA in English and History at Wits, no theatre training.
 
 
 
=== Career ===
 
She formed part of [[Mannie Manim]] and [[Barney Simon]]’s [[The Company]] together with [[Aletta Bezuidenhout]], [[Leonie Hofmeyr]], [[David Eppel]], [[Judith Cornell]], [[Janice Honeyman]], [[Sue Kiel]], [[Danny Keogh]], [[Lindsay Reardon]] and [[John Oakley-Smith]] around 1974.
 
 
 
Vanessa was one of the founder members of the [[Market Theatre]] in 1976 and she became director of the Market Theatre Laboratory in 1996.
 
  
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
  
She began in theatre at the age of 4 when she performed on stage at [[His Majesty's Theatre]] in Johannesburg in ''[[Madame Butterfly]]'' by the Italian Opera Company.  
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She had her first role at the age of 4 when she performed on stage at [[His Majesty's Theatre]] in Johannesburg in ''[[Madame Butterfly]]'' by the [[Italian Opera Company]], then performed for the [[Johannesburg Repertory Society]] an amateur, beginning with a role in Marcel Pagnol’s ''[[Fanny]]'', at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1967.  
  
She made her debut as actress in Marcel Pagnol’s ''[[Fanny]]'', which was staged by the [[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Reps]] at the [[Alexander Theatre]] in 1967.  
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She then became a member of  [[Mannie Manim]] and [[Barney Simon]]'s [[The Company]] at the [[Arena Theatre]] round about 1974 and in 1976 became one of the founder members , appearing in the ''[[Marat/Sade]]'' for [[The Company]], which was the official opening production of the [[Market Theatre]]. She later also appeared in ''[[The Seagull]]'', which opened the [[Upstairs at the Market|Upstairs Theatre]].  A stalwart member of the the management team at the [[Market Theatre]], she took over as director of the [[Market Theatre Laboratory]] in 1996.
  
She worked at the [[Arena Theatre]] in ''[[Hey Listen!]]'', ''[[Woyzeck]]'', with [[The Company]] in ''[[Mama is Terry home for good?]]'', ''[[Cop-Out]]'' and ''[[Twelfth Night]]''.  She also performed in ''[[People Too]]'', ''[[Marat/Sade]]'' and ''[[People are Living There]]''. 
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===As performer===
  
Actress for the [[Space Theatre]] in [[Athol Fugard|Fugard]]’s ''[[Dimetos]]''.
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Her numerous acting roles over the years have included appearances in productions such as ''[[Show Me Yours...]]'', ''[[Woyzeck ]]'' (1973), ''[[Antigone (by Jean Anouilh)]]'' (1975), ''[[The Seagull]]'' (1976), ''[[Mother Courage]]'' (1977), ''[[People are Living There]]'' (1977), ''[[Travesties]]''  (1978), ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (1982), ''[[Gertrude Stein and a Companion]]'' (1985), Samuel Beckett’s ''[[Catastrophe]]'' (1985) ''[[Laughing Wild]]'' (1990), ''[[The Belle of Amherst]]'' (1990), ''[[Six Degrees of Separation]]'' (1991), ''[[Indiscretions]]'' (1996), ''[[Endgame]]'' (1997), ''[[How I Learned to Drive]]'' (1998), ''[[Dream of the Dog]]''(2007),  ''[[The Beauty Queen of Leenane]]'' (2008), ''[[Benefactors]]'', ''[[Big Bad Mouse]]'', ''[[Blithe Spirit]]'', ''[[The Death of Bessie Smith]]'', ''[[Exit the King]]'', ''[[Lysistrata]]'', ''[[Madame de Sade]]'', ''[[Private Lives]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[True Confusions]]'', ''[[Hotel Polana]]'', "Grace" in ''[[Vigil]]'' (2013-2014).  Samuel Beckett’s ''[[Catastrophe]]'' (the [[Wits Theatre]] in 1985), William M. Hoffman’s ''[[As Is]]'' (directed by [[Janice Honeyman]] in 1986),  Jerome Kilty’s ''[[Dear Love]]'' ([[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1988),  ''[[Forbidden Fruits]]''. ''[[Private Lives]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[True Confusions]]'', ''[[Hotel Polana]]'', ''[[Vigil]]'' (2013-2014), ''[[Hey Listen!]]'', ''[[Woyzeck]]'', ''[[Mama is Terry home for good?]]'', ''[[Cop-Out]]'', ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', ''[[People are Living There]]'' and ''[[People Too]]'', ''[[An Arabian Night]]''.  
  
One of the founding members of [[The Company]], she performed in the ''[[Marat/Sade]]'', which was the official opening of the [[Market Theatre]] in 1976, as well as ''[[The Seagull]]'' which opened the [[Upstairs at the Market|Upstairs Theatre]].  
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As film actress, she had a role in the 1970 film ''[[Bitter Lied van die Somer|Forgotten Summer]]''.
  
''[[This is for Keeps]]'' (with [[Danny Keogh]] and [[Janice Honeyman]] -1983), ''[[The Native Who Caused All the Trouble]]'' (with [[Fink Haysom]] and [[Danny Keogh]] -1983), ''[[And Green And Golden]]'' (1982-3),  ''[[Born in the RSA]]'' (with [[Barney Simon]] and the rest of the cast – 1985),***
 
  
Besides performing in all the foregoing, major acting roles include multiple characters, including Sheherazade*?, in ''[[An Arabian Night]]'' (197*), ****, Alice in *****''[[Alice  B. Toklas]]'' (198*), **** , ***.
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===As playwright and improvisor===
  
She starred in [[The Company]]’s presentation of [[Barney Simon]]’s revival of ''[[People are Living There]]'' with [[Wilson Dunster]], [[Yvonne Bryceland]] and [[Danny Keogh]] at The [[Market Theatre]] in 1977.
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As creative artist/ playwright she worked closely with [[Barney Simon]] and other members of [[The Company]] over the years, helping to create classical pieces (such as Simon and company's ''[[Cincinatti – Scenes from City Life]]'' and ''[[Born in the RSA]]'') and as playwright and performer/improvisational actor she also co-authored a numbered of her own works, including the critically acclaimed ''[[This is for Keeps]]'' (with [[Danny Keogh]] and [[Janice Honeyman]] -1983), ''[[The Native Who Caused All the Trouble]]'' (with [[Fink Haysom]] and [[Danny Keogh]] -1983), as well as ''[[And Green And Golden]]'' (1982-3), ''[[Struts and Frets]]'' and ''[[Ladies and Gentlemen, Shakespeare!]]'' 
  
She starred in [[Barney Simon]]’s production of ''[[Cincinatti – Scenes from City Life]]'' together with [[Marcel van Heerden]], [[Danny Keogh]], [[Lesley Nott]], [[Barrie Shah]], [[Thoko Ntshinga]], [[Bo Petersen]], [[Sam Williams]] and [[Robin Smith]] for [[The Company]] at The [[Market Theatre]], [[Upstairs at the Market]], the [[Baxter Theatre]] and the [[Brooke Theatre]] in 1979.
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===As a director===
  
Together with [[Danny Keogh]] she starred in and wrote ''[[This is for Keeps]]'' which [[Janice Honeyman]] directed at the [[Laager]] in May 1983 before playing at [[Upstairs at the Market]] in August.  
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She was responsible for productions such as  ''[[Meze, Mira and Make-Up]]'' (written by and starring [[Irene Stephanou]]), ''[[Telegrams From Hell]]'', ''[[The Maids]]'' (for the [[Volkswagen Music Active Project]] in 1993) and ''[[Julius Caesar]]'' for the [[Market Theatre Laboratory]], ''[[The House of Truth]]'' (2016?), ''[[How I Learned to Drive]]''.
  
She starred in [[Janice Honeyman]]’s production, ''[[Forbidden Fruits]]'', together with [[Jeremy Crutchley]], [[Mike Huff]], [[Danny Keogh]], [[Amanda Strydom]] and [[Annelisa Weiland]] at [[Upstairs at the Market]] in 1983/84.
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== Awards, etc ==
  
Together with the cast comprising [[Fiona Ramsay]], [[Timmy Kwebulana]], [[Gcina Mhlope]], [[Terry Norton]], [[Thoko Ntshinga]] and [[Neil McCarthy]], and in collaboration with its director [[Barney Simon]], she helped write ''[[Born in the RSA]]'' which opened at [[Upstairs at the Market]] in August 1985 before moving to the main theatre.
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She was awarded the best English actress as Alice B. Toklas in 1986 in ''[[Gertrude Stein and a companion]]''.
  
She starred in [[Bobby Heaney]]’s productions of Saumuel Beckett’s ''[[Catastrophe]]'' at the [[Wits Theatre]] in 1985 and in William M. Hoffman’s ''[[As Is]]'' which was directed by [[Janice Honeyman]] in 1986. She starred in Jerome Kilty’s ''[[Dear Love]]'' at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1988.  
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She is the winner of two [[Vita Awards]] for Best Actress, a [[DALRO]] award for best supporting actress and an [[Amstel Award]] for best script as co-writer of ''[[The Native Who Caused All the Trouble]]''.  
  
Vanessa directed ''[[Meze, Mira and Make-Up]]'' written by and starring [[Irene Stephanou]]. She also directed ''[[Telegrams From Hell]]'' and ''[[The Maids]]'' in 1993 for the Volkswagen Music Active Project and ''[[Julius Caesar]]'' for the [[Market Theatre Laboratory]].
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Nominated in 1991 for her role in ''[[Laughing Wild]]'' ([[Johannesburg Repetory Players Award]] for best actress in a leading role in English);  
 
 
She wrote ''[[Struts and Frets]]'', co-devised and directed ''[[Ladies and Gentlemen, Shakespeare!]]'',
 
 
 
Other productions include ''[[Show Me Yours...]]'', ''[[Woyzeck ]]'' (1973), ''[[The Seagull]]'' (1976), ''[[Mother Courage]]'' (1977), ''[[Antigone (by Jean Anouilh)]]'' (1975), ''[[Travesties]]''  (1978), ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (1982), ''[[Gertrude Stein and a Companion]]'' (1985), ''[[Laughing Wild]]'' (1990), ''[[The Belle of Amherst]]'' (1990), ''[[Six Degrees of Separation]]'' (1991), ''[[Indiscretions]]'' (1996), ''[[Endgame]]'' (1997), ''[[How I Learned to Drive]]'' (1998), ''[[Dream of the Dog]]''(2007),  ''[[The Beauty Queen of Leenane]]'' (2008), ''[[Benefactors]]'', ''[[Big Bad Mouse]]'', ''[[Blithe Spirit]]'', ''[[The Death of Bessie Smith]]'', ''[[Exit the King]]'', ''[[Lysistrata]]'', ''[[Madame de Sade]]'', ''[[Private Lives]]'', ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[True Confusions]]'', ''[[Hotel Polana]]'', .
 
 
2013-14 Played "Grace" in ''[[Vigil]]'' (Morris Panych), directed the [[Sello Maake ka Ncube]] production of ''[[The House of Truth]]'' (2016?), staged at the [[National Arts Festival]].
 
 
 
She had a role in the 1970 film ''[[Bitter Lied van die Somer|Forgotten Summer]]''.
 
 
 
== Awards, etc ==
 
She is the winner of two [[Vita Awards]] for Best Actress, a [[DALRO]] award for best supporting actress and an Amstel award for best script as co-writer of [[The Native Who Caused All the Trouble]].
 
 
 
Nominated in 1991 for her role in ''[[Laughing Wild]]'' (Johannesburg Repetory Players Award for best actress in a leading role in English);  
 
  
 
Won the [[Vita Award]] best supporting actress (Gauteng region) for ''[[How I Learned to Drive]]'', August 1999.
 
Won the [[Vita Award]] best supporting actress (Gauteng region) for ''[[How I Learned to Drive]]'', August 1999.
 
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==

Latest revision as of 15:17, 7 December 2022

Vanessa Cooke (1948-) is an actress, playwright and director.

Biography

The daughter of Roy Cooke, she studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, completing a BA in English and History.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

She had her first role at the age of 4 when she performed on stage at His Majesty's Theatre in Johannesburg in Madame Butterfly by the Italian Opera Company, then performed for the Johannesburg Repertory Society an amateur, beginning with a role in Marcel Pagnol’s Fanny, at the Alexander Theatre in 1967.

She then became a member of Mannie Manim and Barney Simon's The Company at the Arena Theatre round about 1974 and in 1976 became one of the founder members , appearing in the Marat/Sade for The Company, which was the official opening production of the Market Theatre. She later also appeared in The Seagull, which opened the Upstairs Theatre. A stalwart member of the the management team at the Market Theatre, she took over as director of the Market Theatre Laboratory in 1996.

As performer

Her numerous acting roles over the years have included appearances in productions such as Show Me Yours..., Woyzeck (1973), Antigone (by Jean Anouilh) (1975), The Seagull (1976), Mother Courage (1977), People are Living There (1977), Travesties (1978), Romeo and Juliet (1982), Gertrude Stein and a Companion (1985), Samuel Beckett’s Catastrophe (1985) Laughing Wild (1990), The Belle of Amherst (1990), Six Degrees of Separation (1991), Indiscretions (1996), Endgame (1997), How I Learned to Drive (1998), Dream of the Dog(2007), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (2008), Benefactors, Big Bad Mouse, Blithe Spirit, The Death of Bessie Smith, Exit the King, Lysistrata, Madame de Sade, Private Lives, Romeo and Juliet, True Confusions, Hotel Polana, "Grace" in Vigil (2013-2014). Samuel Beckett’s Catastrophe (the Wits Theatre in 1985), William M. Hoffman’s As Is (directed by Janice Honeyman in 1986), Jerome Kilty’s Dear Love (André Huguenet Theatre in 1988), Forbidden Fruits. Private Lives, Romeo and Juliet, True Confusions, Hotel Polana, Vigil (2013-2014), Hey Listen!, Woyzeck, Mama is Terry home for good?, Cop-Out, Twelfth Night, People are Living There and People Too, An Arabian Night.

As film actress, she had a role in the 1970 film Forgotten Summer.


As playwright and improvisor

As creative artist/ playwright she worked closely with Barney Simon and other members of The Company over the years, helping to create classical pieces (such as Simon and company's Cincinatti – Scenes from City Life and Born in the RSA) and as playwright and performer/improvisational actor she also co-authored a numbered of her own works, including the critically acclaimed This is for Keeps (with Danny Keogh and Janice Honeyman -1983), The Native Who Caused All the Trouble (with Fink Haysom and Danny Keogh -1983), as well as And Green And Golden (1982-3), Struts and Frets and Ladies and Gentlemen, Shakespeare!

As a director

She was responsible for productions such as Meze, Mira and Make-Up (written by and starring Irene Stephanou), Telegrams From Hell, The Maids (for the Volkswagen Music Active Project in 1993) and Julius Caesar for the Market Theatre Laboratory, The House of Truth (2016?), How I Learned to Drive.

Awards, etc

She was awarded the best English actress as Alice B. Toklas in 1986 in Gertrude Stein and a companion.

She is the winner of two Vita Awards for Best Actress, a DALRO award for best supporting actress and an Amstel Award for best script as co-writer of The Native Who Caused All the Trouble.

Nominated in 1991 for her role in Laughing Wild (Johannesburg Repetory Players Award for best actress in a leading role in English);

Won the Vita Award best supporting actress (Gauteng region) for How I Learned to Drive, August 1999.

Sources

Weekly Mail, 26 September 1996.

SACD 1974; 1975/76; 1977/78.

Programme notes of Meze, Mira and Make-Up at the Market Theatre in 1996.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Astbury 1979.

Schwartz 1988.

Tucker, 1997.

The Star, 12 June 2006.

Beeld Plus, 26 July 2007.

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