Difference between revisions of "Ron Fenton"

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[[Ron Fenton]] (1935-) is an actor, playwright and theatre personality, best known for his contribution to South African theatre.  
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[[Ron Fenton]] (1935-2018) was an actor, playwright and theatre personality, best known for his contribution to South African theatre in the 1960s and 1970s.  
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
  
Born [[Ronald Fenton]] in Hounslow, Middlesex UK, in 1935.  As a child during the 2nd World War, Ron admits he found it an exciting time, fighter planes, air warden drills, and Soldiers in his village.  He also said he remembers riding his bike over the Heath, before it became Heathrow Airport.  And it was when watching his parents act during the war, that inspired Ron to act himself.
+
Born [[Ronald Edgar Fenton]] to in Hounslow, Middlesex UK, in 1935.  As a child during the 2nd World War, Ron admits he found it an exciting time, fighter planes, air warden drills, and Soldiers in his village.  He also said he remembers riding his bike over the Heath, before it became Heathrow Airport.  And it was when watching his parents act during the war, that inspired Ron to act himself.
  
Ron joined the Merchant Navy in 1956.  Thus given him the opportunity to travel to far and exotic countries. He also took part in Merchant Navy Training videos. He left the Merchant Navy in 1961, settling in Cape Town.
+
Ron joined the Merchant Navy in 1956.  Thus given him the opportunity to travel to far and exotic countries. He also took part in Merchant Navy Training videos.  
  
The family went back to England in 1980, where he got a job in planning, and generally lived a normal life. Initially he did not participate in theatrical activities for two years, but then he started writing again and participating in local drama groups, though never again to the extend he had done in South Africa.  
+
It was while working as an engineer on the Ship "The Winchester Castle"[http://www.bandcstaffregister.co.uk/page73.html] that Ron met Moreen Walker, who was a passenger travelling back from Rhodesia to UK. They got married in Helensborough, Scotland, on the 1st April 1961. In the same year he left the Merchant Navy to start in a boat yard in Shandon, Scotland, doing general boat repairs. 
 +
 
 +
In 1962 he and Moreen went to settle in Cape Town, South Africa, and lived in Retreat. Hed initially worked in the Internal Combustion Workshop of the Dock Yard in Simons Town, and afterwards in Planning.
 +
The couple had three children, Scott, [[Ross Fenton|Ross]] and [[Frazer Fenton|Frazer]]. It was in this period that he became actively engaged in Cape Town amateur and professional theatre.
 +
 
 +
The family went back to England in 1980, where he got a job in planning, and generally lived a conventional life. Initially he did not participate in theatrical activities, but after two years he gradually started writing again and participating in local drama groups, though never again to the extent that he had done in South Africa.
 +
 
 +
[[Ron Fenton]] passed away on the 3rd of June, 2018.  
  
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
 
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
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=== As actor: ===
 
=== As actor: ===
  
His roles for the [[Maynardville]] open-air theatre included "Cornwall's servant" (''[[King Lear]]'' 1966); "Sergeant" (''[[Macbeth]]'', 1967), "Pistol" ''[[Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', 1969), "Senators, Offices, Messenger and Attendents" (''[[Othello]]'', 1970), "Messenger" (''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'', 1972), "First Gravedigger" (''[[Hamlet]]'',” 
+
His roles for the [[Maynardville]] open-air theatre included "Cornwall's servant" (''[[King Lear]]'' 1966); "Sergeant" (''[[Macbeth]]'', 1967), "Pistol" (''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', 1969), "Senators, Offices, Messenger and Attendents" (''[[Othello]]'', 1970), "Messenger" (''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'', 1972), "First Gravedigger" (''[[Hamlet]]'',1975)
  
For the [[Masque Theatre]] he appeared as "Martin Eppingham" in ''[[My Giddy Aunt]]'' (Cooney and Chapman, 1972), "George Riley" in ''[[Enter a Free Man]]'' (Stoppard, 1973), "Edward Robinson" in ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]'' ([[Ron Fenton]], 1976), "Phil Hogan" in ''[[A Moon for the Misbegotten]]'' (Eugene O’Neill, for [[The Sons of England Dramatic Society]], 1977), "Basher Bates" in ''[[Don't Utter A Note]]'' (Anton Delmar, 1979).  
+
 +
 
 +
For the [[Masque Theatre]] he appeared as "Martin Eppingham" in ''[[My Giddy Aunt]]'' (Cooney and Chapman, 1972), "George Riley" in ''[[Enter a Free Man]]'' (Stoppard, 1973), "Edward Robinson" in ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]'' ([[Ron Fenton]], 1976), ''[[Beyond The Pale Of Water]]'' ([[Glynn Day]], 1976), "Phil Hogan" in ''[[A Moon for the Misbegotten]]'' (Eugene O’Neill, for [[The Sons of England Dramatic Society]], 1977), "Basher Bates" in ''[[Don't Utter a Note]]'' (Anton Delmar, 1979).  
  
 
For the [[Space Theatre]] he had roles in ''[[The Slab Boys]]'' (John Byrne, 1979), ''[[Three Thoroughly Offensive Plays for Mother Grundies]]'' (1979), ''[[In Two Minds]]''  (David Mercerat, 1979)  
 
For the [[Space Theatre]] he had roles in ''[[The Slab Boys]]'' (John Byrne, 1979), ''[[Three Thoroughly Offensive Plays for Mother Grundies]]'' (1979), ''[[In Two Minds]]''  (David Mercerat, 1979)  
  
For the [[Bergvliet Dramatic Society]] he played the "Burgomaster" in ''[[Laughing Dandino]]'' (1975),   
+
For the [[Bergvliet Dramatic Society]] he played the "Burgomaster" in ''[[Laughing Dandino]]'' (1975), while his son [[Ross Fenton]] played "Eric", one of the children.    
 +
 
 +
For [[Imps Drama]] he played the lead in their first production, ''[[As Long As Forever Is]]'', a programme of songs, poems and prose by Dylan Thomas, devised by [[Henry Goodman]], [[Glynn Day]] and [[Lynn Banner]], (1976)
 +
 
 +
At [[Fish Hoek Drama Festival]] he presented two of his plays, performing in them as well:  ''[[The Invalid]]'' (1974),  ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'' (1976). Possibly also ''[[Three Knives for the Puppet Master]]''. 
 +
 
 +
For [[Glynn Day Productions]] he played "Harry Rabinowitz" in ''[[Mr McConkey's Suitcase]]'' (Geraldine Aron, 1977), "Bill J Mortimer" in ''[[The Chess Mistress]]'' (Tony Robinson, 1978)
 +
 
 +
He was also in ''[[The Coral King]]'', a play by [[James Ambrose Brown]]).
  
For [[Imps Drama]] he played the lead in their first production, ''[As Long As Forever Is]]'', a programme of songs, poems and prose by Dylan Thomas, devised by [[Henry Goodman]], [[Glynn Day]] and [[Lynn Banner]], (1976)
+
===Film work===
  
At [[Fish Hoek Drama Festival]] he presented two of his plays, performing in them as well:  ''[[The Invalid]]'' (1974),  ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'' (1976).  
+
He did a voice in ''[[The Bewitched Tree]]'' a small film using puppetry by [[Tony Fletcher]].
  
For [[Glynn Day Productions]] he played "Harry Rabinowitz" in ''[[Mr McConkey’s Suitcase]]'' (Geraldine Aron, 1977), "Bill J Mortimer" in ''[[The Chess Mistress]]'' (Tony Robinson, 1978)
 
 
 
=== As director ===
 
=== As director ===
  
Line 35: Line 50:
 
=== As playwright ===
 
=== As playwright ===
  
He wrote the plays ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]'',  ''[[The Invalid]]'' (1974), and  ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'' (1976).
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While in South Africa he wrote the plays ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]'', ''[[A Cowardly Season]]'',  ''[[Burleigh Nicotinus]]'',  ''[[The Invalid]]'' (1974), ''[[Three Knives for the Puppet Master]]'' (197*?) and  ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'' (1976). On his return to the UK he wrote a few more plays, including  ''[[Booze and Baccy]]'', ''[[Toc-H]]'' and ''[[Fireman at the Pentecost]]'',  as well a number short sketches and monologues.
  
 
== Awards, accolades, etc ==
 
== Awards, accolades, etc ==
Line 43: Line 58:
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
  
Correspondence with Frazer Fenton (12-14 April, 2016)
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E-mail correspondence from [[Frazer Fenton]] (April-November, 2016, and 4 June, 2018)
 +
 
 +
https://www.facebook.com/RonFenton/
  
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_king-lear_66.php
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_king-lear_66.php
 
http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/King_Lear
 
  
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_macbeth_67.php
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_macbeth_67.php
  
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_the-merry-wives-of-windsor_69.php
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_the-merry-wives-of-windsor_69.php
 
http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Leonard_Schach
 
  
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_othello_70.php
 
http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_othello_70.php
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[[Owen Williams]]. 1975. Review of the [[Maynardville]] production of ''[[Hamlet]]'', [[The Argus]], 8th January.
 
[[Owen Williams]]. 1975. Review of the [[Maynardville]] production of ''[[Hamlet]]'', [[The Argus]], 8th January.
  
 +
[[Geoffrey Tansley]], 1976. Review of the [[Imps Drama]] production of ''[[As Long As Forever Is]]'',  ''[[Cape Times]]'' , March.
  
18 Programme of songs, poems and prose by Dylan Thomas
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Anonymous reviewer. Review of ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'', ''[[The Fish Hoek Echo]]'' (March, 1976: page 7).
  
19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Goodman
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[[Geoffrey Tansley]]. 1976. Review of ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]'', ''[[Cape Times]]''.  
 
 
20 Production is reviewed in The Cape Times by Geoffery Tansley (March 1976).
 
 
 
http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Glynn_Day
 
21 The Hostage Voluntary was reviewed in The Fish Hoek Echo newspaper (Page 7), "Hostage Voluntary" written by Ron Fenton, who also took the leading part...packed with action, suspense and gripping drama, centering round riot torn Ireland. To my mind a tremendous achievement and well deserving of a special award." (And on Page 9) Another waste in my opinion was that of an absolute master of his craft, Ron Fenton. How many of you realise that, besides taking the leading part in that spine - chilling Irish drama "Hostage" he had also written it. The only truly topical play we had, a play that simply shouted with action and suspense! While the clever denouement left us all clutching our seats, Surely Ron Fenton deserved a special award"
 
 
 
 
 
22 Play is reviewed in the Cape Times by Geoffery Tansley, "Naked in the Fountain by Ron Fenton, is a well thought out comedy in two scenes in which two husbands are at first outraged by the conduct of their wives, who, on impulse in the one case and in order to assert herself in the other, exhibit more of their charms than their spouses think right and proper. Later the men are forced to take a more modern view.
 
 
 
23 Reviewed by Geoffery Tansley for the Cape Times (September-October 1977).
 
 
 
24 Production reviewed by Owen Williams for The Argus newspaper (26th October 1977).
 
 
 
25 Reviewed by Elaine Durbach for The Argus (21st April 1978, page 7.)
 
 
 
26 Reviewed in the Cape Times (5th April 1978) Reviewer unknown
 
 
 
27 http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/In_Two_Minds
 
 
 
 
 
28 http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/The_Slab_Boys
 
 
 
29 http://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php/Three_Thoroughly_Offensive_Plays_for_Mother_Grundies
 
  
 +
[[Geoffrey Tansley]], 1977. Review of ''[[A Moon for the Misbegotten]]'', [[Cape Times]].
  
 +
[[Owen Williams]] 1977. Review of ''[[Mr McConkey's Suitcase]]'', ''[[The Argus]]''  (26th October, 1977).
  
 +
[[Elaine Durbach]]. 1978. Review of ''[[The Chess Mistress]]'',  ''[[The Argus]]'' (21 April 1978: p.7.)
  
 +
Anonymous reviewer. 1978. Review of ''[[The Chess Mistress]]'',  ''[[Cape Times]]'' (5 April 1978) Reviewer unknown
  
 +
Cast list:  ''[[Don't Utter a Note]]'' (courtesy of [[Frazer Fenton]])[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1rOCezcCZ80H0uffE_yiTXwabuJeah0KE8ajSi1S68/edit?usp=sharing]
  
 +
Cast list:  ''[[Laughing Dandino]]'' (courtesy of [[Frazer Fenton]])[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__40XgHEPvhZm13aVBZfapbnvpLEYIW8qKzb6ajoCV0/edit?usp=sharing]
  
 +
Cast list:  ''[[Don't Utter a Note]]'' (courtesy of [[Frazer Fenton]])[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gmZI0xYiXNwdY2kwMIEhahZBCtmUYybsOKCCfw5xDQ8/edit?usp=sharing]
  
 +
Cast list:  ''[[The Hostage Voluntary]]'' (courtesy of [[Frazer Fenton]])[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eywLZnNNjTzKHBv7jOuxbR-G5sTvyYpIb-mSsrTlq1k/edit?usp=sharing]
  
 +
Cast list:  ''[[The Invalid]]'' (courtesy of [[Frazer Fenton]])[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r4UiQ_DD67qiL0D7tRYHxTbB0cDFWoE07N9Hl2qDq34/edit?usp=sharing]
  
 
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
 
Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
Line 110: Line 110:
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==
  
Return to [[ESAT Personalities  A]]  
+
Return to [[ESAT Personalities  F]]  
  
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
  
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
 
 
 
'''Ron Fenton'''  (19**-) Actor.
 
 
He had roles in ''[[King Lear]]'' (1966); ''[[The Slab Boys]]'', ''[[Three Thoroughly Offensive Plays for Mother Grundies]]'' and ''[[In Two Minds]]'' (all three at [[Space Theatre|The Space]] in the 1970s).
 
 
He wrote the play ''[[Naked in the Fountain]]''.
 
 
 
Return to [[ESAT Personalities F]]
 
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 07:18, 4 June 2018

Ron Fenton (1935-2018) was an actor, playwright and theatre personality, best known for his contribution to South African theatre in the 1960s and 1970s.

Biography

Born Ronald Edgar Fenton to in Hounslow, Middlesex UK, in 1935. As a child during the 2nd World War, Ron admits he found it an exciting time, fighter planes, air warden drills, and Soldiers in his village. He also said he remembers riding his bike over the Heath, before it became Heathrow Airport. And it was when watching his parents act during the war, that inspired Ron to act himself.

Ron joined the Merchant Navy in 1956. Thus given him the opportunity to travel to far and exotic countries. He also took part in Merchant Navy Training videos.

It was while working as an engineer on the Ship "The Winchester Castle"[1] that Ron met Moreen Walker, who was a passenger travelling back from Rhodesia to UK. They got married in Helensborough, Scotland, on the 1st April 1961. In the same year he left the Merchant Navy to start in a boat yard in Shandon, Scotland, doing general boat repairs.

In 1962 he and Moreen went to settle in Cape Town, South Africa, and lived in Retreat. Hed initially worked in the Internal Combustion Workshop of the Dock Yard in Simons Town, and afterwards in Planning. The couple had three children, Scott, Ross and Frazer. It was in this period that he became actively engaged in Cape Town amateur and professional theatre.

The family went back to England in 1980, where he got a job in planning, and generally lived a conventional life. Initially he did not participate in theatrical activities, but after two years he gradually started writing again and participating in local drama groups, though never again to the extent that he had done in South Africa.

Ron Fenton passed away on the 3rd of June, 2018.

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

He began his acting career in South Africa in 1966, and worked extensively with the Maynardville Open-air Shakespeare Theatre, Cape Town (1966 -1975), the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg (1972 - 1979, Bergvliet Dramatic Society (1975), and the Space Theatre, Cape Town (1972 - 1979).

As actor:

His roles for the Maynardville open-air theatre included "Cornwall's servant" (King Lear 1966); "Sergeant" (Macbeth, 1967), "Pistol" (The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1969), "Senators, Offices, Messenger and Attendents" (Othello, 1970), "Messenger" (Antony and Cleopatra, 1972), "First Gravedigger" (Hamlet,1975)


For the Masque Theatre he appeared as "Martin Eppingham" in My Giddy Aunt (Cooney and Chapman, 1972), "George Riley" in Enter a Free Man (Stoppard, 1973), "Edward Robinson" in Naked in the Fountain (Ron Fenton, 1976), Beyond The Pale Of Water (Glynn Day, 1976), "Phil Hogan" in A Moon for the Misbegotten (Eugene O’Neill, for The Sons of England Dramatic Society, 1977), "Basher Bates" in Don't Utter a Note (Anton Delmar, 1979).

For the Space Theatre he had roles in The Slab Boys (John Byrne, 1979), Three Thoroughly Offensive Plays for Mother Grundies (1979), In Two Minds (David Mercerat, 1979)

For the Bergvliet Dramatic Society he played the "Burgomaster" in Laughing Dandino (1975), while his son Ross Fenton played "Eric", one of the children.

For Imps Drama he played the lead in their first production, As Long As Forever Is, a programme of songs, poems and prose by Dylan Thomas, devised by Henry Goodman, Glynn Day and Lynn Banner, (1976)

At Fish Hoek Drama Festival he presented two of his plays, performing in them as well: The Invalid (1974), The Hostage Voluntary (1976). Possibly also Three Knives for the Puppet Master.

For Glynn Day Productions he played "Harry Rabinowitz" in Mr McConkey's Suitcase (Geraldine Aron, 1977), "Bill J Mortimer" in The Chess Mistress (Tony Robinson, 1978)

He was also in The Coral King, a play by James Ambrose Brown).

Film work

He did a voice in The Bewitched Tree a small film using puppetry by Tony Fletcher.

As director

Directed inter alia his own play The Invalid (Fish Hoek Drama Festival, 1974),

As playwright

While in South Africa he wrote the plays Naked in the Fountain, A Cowardly Season, Burleigh Nicotinus, The Invalid (1974), Three Knives for the Puppet Master (197*?) and The Hostage Voluntary (1976). On his return to the UK he wrote a few more plays, including Booze and Baccy, Toc-H and Fireman at the Pentecost, as well a number short sketches and monologues.

Awards, accolades, etc

His acting in Stoppard's Enter a Free Man received high accolades from critic Jill Fletcher (1973): "Ron Fenton as the Free man was excellent. Apart from having to learn a monumental part, (he was hardly ever off the stage) he touched the heart of everyone who has leapt off this dry and dusty earth, missed the stars and crashed back to earth again".

Sources

E-mail correspondence from Frazer Fenton (April-November, 2016, and 4 June, 2018)

https://www.facebook.com/RonFenton/

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_king-lear_66.php

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_macbeth_67.php

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_the-merry-wives-of-windsor_69.php

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_othello_70.php

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/productions_antony-&-cleopatra_72.php

Jill Fletcher. 1973. Review of Enter a Free Man, Cape Times, April 1973.

Geoffrey Tansley. 1974. Review of the 1974 Fish Hoek Drama Festival, Cape Times.

http://archive-za.com/page/3229593/2013-11-25/http://www.maynardville.co.za/archive-productions/hamlet_75.php

Fiona Chisholm 1975. Review of the Maynardville production of Hamlet, the Cape Times, 8th January.

Owen Williams. 1975. Review of the Maynardville production of Hamlet, The Argus, 8th January.

Geoffrey Tansley, 1976. Review of the Imps Drama production of As Long As Forever Is, Cape Times , March.

Anonymous reviewer. Review of The Hostage Voluntary, The Fish Hoek Echo (March, 1976: page 7).

Geoffrey Tansley. 1976. Review of Naked in the Fountain, Cape Times.

Geoffrey Tansley, 1977. Review of A Moon for the Misbegotten, Cape Times.

Owen Williams 1977. Review of Mr McConkey's Suitcase, The Argus (26th October, 1977).

Elaine Durbach. 1978. Review of The Chess Mistress, The Argus (21 April 1978: p.7.)

Anonymous reviewer. 1978. Review of The Chess Mistress, Cape Times (5 April 1978) Reviewer unknown

Cast list: Don't Utter a Note (courtesy of Frazer Fenton)[2]

Cast list: Laughing Dandino (courtesy of Frazer Fenton)[3]

Cast list: Don't Utter a Note (courtesy of Frazer Fenton)[4]

Cast list: The Hostage Voluntary (courtesy of Frazer Fenton)[5]

Cast list: The Invalid (courtesy of Frazer Fenton)[6]

Go to ESAT Bibliography

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Return to ESAT Personalities F

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

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