Geraldine Aron

(1941/1951??-) Dramatist, poet, copywriter.

Biography

Born in Galway, the Republic of Ireland, but has lived in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She came to South Arica as a young married woman and lived in Cape Town between 1967 and 1986, where she continued her career in advertising by managing a freelance copy bureau. During this time she became a naturalized South African citizen, and her initial dramatic output was produced while resident in South Africa. She returned to England in 1987. She has twin daughters.

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

While much of her early work was performed in South Africa, her work has since been performed to acclaim internationally.

For the stage

She began her career as playwright at the Space Theatre, Cape Town, when her short, poignant verse dialogue Bar and Ger (1975) was successfully staged there with Yvonne Bryceland and Wilson Dunster (1978). Most of her earlier works were performed at The Space Theatre, and after the closing of The Space she continued to write works for CAPAB and other companies, till her return to England in 1987, where she continued her career.

Works produced during her South African period include Bar and Ger (1975), Mr. McConkey’s Suitcase, Mickey Kannis Caught my Eye, Joggers and A Galway Girl(1979) to two full-length plays (Spider and The Spare Room) and four monologues (On the Blue Train – Constantia Gable, On the Blue Train – Joe Harris, On the Blue Train – Kathy, The Shrinking of Alby Chapman), Brenda (1983), the popular children’s play Why Strelitzias Can’t Fly, as well as Miracle Conway, Namaste, Mr Roper, Auntie Essie and Rustlers (Artscape Theatre, Cape Town)

While at The Space she also collaborated with others people, writing Zombie, based on a storyline conceived by Brian Astbury and helping to write The Disguise of the Ashes that arose out of the Karnaval at Scarborough to prove that Leonardo was Right – an investigation of guilt and The Final Sting of the Dying Wasp.

Many of her South African plays have been published, eleven collected in her own collection entitled Seven Plays and Four Monologues (David Philip, 1985), while some plays have appeared in other collections.

In 1987 she returned to settle in London, and has continued writing plays there. Her work since includes

Olive and Hilary The Arts Theatre, Ireland)

Same Old Moon, Druid Theatre, Galway, Ireland, 1984;

The Stanley Parkers, Druid Theatre, Galway, Ireland, 1990;

The Donahue Sisters, Druid Theatre, Galway, Ireland, 1990 (also Dublin Theatre Festival, Wimbledon Studio Theatre, London, Edinburgh Festival. Irish Arts Theatre, New York);

My Brilliant Divorce, Town Hall Theatre, Galway, Ireland, 2001 and the Apollo Theatre in London, 2004

For television

A number of her stage works were adapted and filmed for SABC-TV television, including Bar and Ger (Ashley Lazarus, 19**), Mickey Kannis Caught my Eye and Spider. She alos wrote TV dramas broadcast by SABC-TV, including Jimmicks, Harry's Kid (adapted from Jack Cope's short story); and The Touch of Pink.

Radio

She wrote a number of works for SABC Radio, including The Marketing Man, The Shrinking of Alby Chapman, and Impressarios and Knitting Machines, while some stage plays were also broadcast on radio. Among them were Joggers, broadcast by SABC Radio, and The Donohue Sisters, A Galway Girl and Bar and Ger, all broadcast by BBC Radio.

Awards, etc

The Alex McGregor Trophy, McMarten Cup for Olive and Hilary

Winner at the All-Ireland One-Act Play Festival; Best Play, Drama Festival of France; Best Play, New Zealand Drama Festival; Dick Lauder Trophy 2010; The MacLennan Prize 2010; the Mackenzie Shield 2010 for The Donohue Sisters.