Linda-Louise Swain

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Linda-Louise Swain (Date of birth: 29th November, 1959) is a "Swinger" actress (ie acts in both professional and amateur roles), and a drama teacher.

Biography

Linda-Louise Swain was born at the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital's Sanford Maternity Ward, the daughter of George and Iris Lillian Swain (nee Page). Her father was a bank manager and her mother was a founder member of the Animal Welfare Society and was very active in community affairs. She was the third eldest child, having two older brothers and one younger sister, Susan. Linda-Louise was educated in Port Elizabeth at the Collegiate School for Girls, first at the Junior School and then at the Senior School. She was initially introduced to acting through things such as poetry competitions and choral verse competitions. In 1974, when she was in Std 5, the school staged a series of one-act plays during centenary celebrations marking the founding of the school in 1864. She was cast as the school's first headmistress, Miss Virginia Lavinia Isitt.

While she was 16 years old (grade 11) in senior school she acted in Table Top produced by the extramural teacher Dorothy Sutherland and played the part of a Russian diplomat ("We have a proverb; When the heart is full, the head is often empty."). The production was entered in the inter schools one-act play competition and she won the Best Actress award.

After matriculating she went to Marjorie Gilbey's studio to study. She completed her Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) at the Associate Trinity College of London and then Licentiate Trinity College of London which qualified her to teach.

As part of her plans to complete her fellowship at Trinity after ATCL and LTCL, she started doing research about Athol Fugard and his contribution to South African and Black theatre. She had completed her research and was getting ready to "put it together" when she received a call from Helen Mann. "I have a little role I'd like you to do," she said. Linda-Louise never completed her fellowship but she wasn't bothered because she learned so much from her. That was the moment her career really started and from then on she never stopped performing. She acted in many more shows and became a member of PEMADS sometimes partaking as many as six productions a year.

Linda-Louise Swain then started teaching and moved from school to school, volunteering to take impoverished pupils from the Missionvale School from Sub A to Matric to teach them drama (for free) thereby enabling them to choose a different outlet in life as living in Missionvale was so hard for them.

Sister Ethel at the Missionvale Care Centre generously allowed these kids to perform in the Centre's little hall.

From there Linda-Louise taught at various schools, including St George's College, Collegiate, and Victoria Park, teaching extra-mural drama and Trinity exams thus enabling scholars to earn their qualifications.

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

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