Ian Fraser (playwright)
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Ian Fraser is a South African playwright, writer, comedian, anti-Apartheid activist, artist, anarchist, and social agitator, now living in the USA. He began as South Africa's first street-level stand up comedian, 'ranting-verse' poet, and extremely acerbic anti-government satirist. He has consistently been a pro-democracy, anti-establishment voice, both under Apartheid and under the new dispensation in South Africa.
Fraser did not finish high school, or have any formal training - but after being conscripted in the then South African Defence Force, for a 2 year period 1981 - 1982 - he began to write and perform his own material from 1985 onwards.
Fraser has won many awards for his plays, including the 1992 Amstel Playwright of the Year Award and the 1992 Tonight-AA Life Vita Award for Comedy, yet his consistently anti-establishment approach has meant that he remains relatively unacknowledged in South Africa today. His comedic work has been compared to those of Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks, and his dramatic writing to that of Bukowski, William Burroughs and Tom Stoppard. Critics characterized Fraser's work as alternatively swinging between brutality and violence, and delicacy, sensitivity and grace. (See references below).
Two of his plays were performed in the USA by the First Banana Theater Company of Madison, Wisconsin, as well as being staged by the Village Playhouse of Wauwatosain 1999. The latter production won first place at the Wisconsin State AACTFest. Alongside his plays, Fraser also performed 8 'one man' satire shows, primarily at the National Arts Festival. Grahamstown National Arts Festival in South Africa, Africa's largest Arts Festival. His works repeatedly won the coveted 'Pick of the Fringe' award. (see references below).
His experiences in the South African Defense Force, provided much of the background for his first novel, published by Penguin Books [My Own Private Orchestra ISBN 0140230505]. He began writing in 1994 as an internet technology columnist for the Johannesburg daily newspaper The Star.
He later wrote a weekly Fraser's Razor column for the Mail and Guardian newspaper.
From 1994, he began to move away from much of the public performance - with sidesteps into Comedy Improv. Around that time, he also began doing voice-over work for TV, radio, and movie advertisements. In a quietly schizophrenic parallel career, he gradually became regarded as one of the leading voice over talents, in South Africa. He was also an official on-air 'voice' for the South African Broadcasting Corporation and their TV 2 channel. ( One of his popular TV ads for a hotel chain in South Africa, has emerged on YouTube.)
He briefly hosted a midnight talk show on '702 Radio' station, in Johannesburg. He was fired for his Howard Stern-like on-air comments and behavior. (See South African Broadcasting Complaints Commission annual report for 1997)
Fraser was threatened with police and legal action, because of one of his extremely funny, yet profoundly angry fictional blog postings, "Killing the President." This short work probably stands alone, as one of the harshest satiric attacks ever to emerge from a progressive viewpoint, of the ruling African National Congress government, and Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Despite its scandalous language and appalling concept, it's clearly from the same genre of satire, as Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal. The official reaction was humorless in the extreme, and it was only due to the timely intervention by the Freedom of Expression Institute on Fraser's behalf, that potentially serious charges of treason and sedition, were prevented.
In April 2006, Fraser relocated to the United States, where he is now a legal resident. He is writing plays and screenplays.
The University of Wisconsin's Oshkosh Theater, has staged 'Dogs of the Blue Gods' and 'The Sugar Plum Fairy' in early 2008
He has recently won the AcidTheatre's 'Freedom of Speech Monologue Competition 2007, in the UK', for his scathing dissection of modern America, titled ('Putting the Fun Back into School Shootings'). It is to be staged in London, England in 2008.
The National English Literary Museum in Grahamstown, South Africa, contains a large collection of his papers and writings, as part of their collection of South African writers and playwrights.
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[edit] Plays
- Bring Me Gandhi
- Lenny Bruce Live
- Like the Pyramid on the Camel Packet
(Staged by the Performing Arts Council Transvaal. PACT. South Africa)
- Charles Manson
- Butterfly Jam
- Heart like a Stomach
Amstel Playwright of the Year Award
- Dogs of the Blue Gods
- Blitzbreeker and the Chicken from Hell
(Staged by the Cape Performing Arts Council CAPAB.
(Staged at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg.
- The Sugar Plum Fairy
- The Gospel According to the Mafia
- The Accidental Antichrist
[edit] Awards
AcidTheatre's Freedom of Speech Play Competition 2007, winner (UK).
('Putting the Fun Back into School Shootings')
Amstel Playwright of the Year nomination.
('Charles Manson')
Amstel Playwright of the Year nomination.
('Butterfly Jam')
Amstel Playwright of the Year Award winner.
('Heart Like a Stomach')
Tonight AA-Life Vita Award for Comedy.
('Dogs of the Blue Gods')
First Place winner in the 1999 Wisconsin State AACTFest (USA)
('Dogs of the Blue Gods')
Amstel Playwright of the Year nomination.
('Blitzbreeker and the Chicken From Hell')
Pick of the Fringe Award Grahamstown Arts Festival, South Africa.
('Blitzbreeker and the Chicken From Hell')
Pick of the Fringe Award Grahamstown Arts Festival. South Africa.
('The Sugar Plum Fairy')
Pick of the Fringe Award Grahamstown Arts Festival. South Africa.
('Gospel According to the Mafia')
CNA Literary Awards nominee Debut section, for
'My Own Private Orchestra'.
Special FNB-Vita Award for ‘Most Outstanding New Production.’
('The Accidental Antichrist')
FNB-Vita Award nomination for ‘Playwright of the Year.’ South Africa, 1994.
(The Accidental Antichrist')
[edit] In North America
- Cat and God
(Published by One Act Play Depot, Canada)
- Yours Till The Cows Come Home
(One Night Cabaret Season, Fusion Theatre, NM)
'Dogs of the Blue Gods'
(University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh Theatre) 2008
'The Sugar Plum Fairy' (University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh Theatre) 2008
- The Family Beef
- Putting the Fun Back Into School Shootings
- Killing George Lucas (short film)
(#2 script, April 2007, on Zoetrope film script site)
- The Accidental Antichrist (feature film)
(quarter finalist Slamdance Screenplay competition)
- The War of Error' (feature film)
- For the Love of an Infinite Number of Monkeys (play)
- The Rocket's Red Glare (play)
[edit] Books
My Own Private Orchestra Penguin Books [ISBN 0140230505]
[edit] External links
- Ian Fraser's site
- Frasers Razor newspaper columns
- Video. Ian Fraser doing 10 minute comedy set in Boston USA, via YouTube
- Video. A second 10 minute comedy set, Boston USA, via YouTube
[edit] References:
-Literature, Apartheid, and Democracy, 1970-1995 By Attridge, Derek, Jolly, Rosemary Jane
-[The playwright-performer as scourge and benefactor : an
examination of political satire and lampoon in South African theatre, with
particular reference to Pieter-Dirk Uys] by Mervyn Eric McMurtry. - -- viii,
467p. ; 30cm. -- Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1993.
-[Grundy, Kenneth W. "The politics of South Africa's National Arts
Festival: small engagements in the bigger campaign."] African Affairs 93.n372
(July 1994)
-[Who's really who in South Africa] Hilary Prendini Toffoli and Gus Silber. -
Johannesburg : Jonathan Ball, 1989
-'The Politics of South Africa's National Arts Festival' (Oxford Journals. offline)
-'Theatre in the New South Africa' (David Graver, Performing Arts Journal, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan, 1995), pp. 103-109).
-'National Arts Festival' Loren Kruger, Theatre Journal, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Mar., 1995), pp. 123-126
-[Zerbst, Jeff. 'Fraser's life flashes before our eyes.'] Review/Books Sep. 1993: p.4. 'Suppl. to: The Weekly Mail & Guardian' 9(34), 23-30 Sep.
-[Tyler, Humphrey. 'Arts festival.' Reality Jan. 1993: p.10-13.
-[Arthur, Thomas H; Arthur, Michael D. 'The 1992 Grahamstown Festival.' [Revs.]
South African Theatre Journal 7 (1), 1993: p.88-103.
-[Boekkooi, Paul. 'Is Ian Fraser net astrant?'] (trans: 'Is Ian Fraser just 'cheeky'/'nuts'/'impudent')
Insig Aug 1993: p.B8.
