Ian Fraser

FRASER, Ian (1962- ). Poet, playwright, stand-up comedian and satirist. Born in Durban, he never finished school and had a harrowing experience in the National Defence Force which sparked his career as poet and playwright. In 1986 he began to perform his angry poetry at a Johannesburg jazz club. Then he moved on to writing offensively rude comic and satiric sketches. Since then he has written and performed a number of shows which include Bring Me Gandhi (Black Sun in August 1987), Story of an African Vampire (The Civic in February 1995) ** **.*** His work has toured widely, to the festivals and main urban centres.

Plays

Plays include: Bring Me Gandhi; Lenny Bruce Live; Like the Pyramid on the Camel Packet; Charles Manson (staged by PACT); Butterfly Jam (staged by PACT); Heart like a Stomach (staged by PACT); Dogs of the Blue Gods (Amstel Playwright of the Year Award); Blitzbreeker and the Chicken from Hell (Amstel Playwright of the Year Award); The Sugar Plum Fairy (staged at the Market Theatre); The Gospel According to the Mafia (staged at the Market Theatre); The Accidental Antichrist (staged at the Market Theatre);

Plays written in the USA: Cat and God; Like Craigslist on a Friday Night; Putting the Fun Back into School Shootings; A Dead Soldier in the Family; The Family Beef; For the Love of an Infinite Number of Monkeys; The Rocket's Red Glare; Die, the Beloved Country; The Zombies. [1]

Shortlisted for Amstel Playwright of the Year, 1990, for Blitzbreeker and the Chicken from Hell; Nominee 1991 Fraser, Ian for `Gods of the Blue Dogs' (Dawie Malan Award for best South African Play);