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. After being conscripted in the then South African Defense 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. His consistently anti-establishment approach has meant that he remains relatively unacknowledged in South Africa today. His comedic work has been compared with that of Americans Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks, and his dramatic writing to that of Charles 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 Wauwatosa in 1999. The latter production won first place at the Wisconsin State AACTFest. Alongside his plays, Fraser also performed eight 'one-man' satire shows, primarily at the 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 0-14-023050-5]. In 1994 he began writing 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 parallel career, he gradually became regarded as one of the leading voice-over talents in South Africa. He was 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 fictional blog postings, "Killing the President." This short work stands as one of the harshest satiric attacks ever on the ruling African National Congress government and Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Despite its scandalous language and appalling concept, critics classed it as a satire, similar to Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal. The government was not amused, and only timely intervention by the Freedom of Expression Institute on Fraser's behalf, prevented charges of treason and sedition.
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, staged 'Dogs of the Blue Gods' and 'The Sugar Plum Fairy' in early 2008
He has 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 Fraser's papers and writings, as part of their collection of South African writers and playwrights.
Most recently, in July 2009, his Dogs of the Blue Gods play was staged at Brown University at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre
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(Staged by the Performing Arts Council Transvaal. PACT. South Africa)
Amstel Playwright of the Year Award
(Staged by the Cape Performing Arts Council CAPAB.
(Staged at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg.
(Writing in America)
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')
Dogs of the Blue Gods
Staged at Brown University at Brown/Trinity Playwrights Repertory Theatre
A Dead Soldier in the Family
Staged by Playwrights Round Table, Florida
(Published by One Act Play Depot, Canada)
'Dogs of the Blue Gods'
(University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh Theatre) 2008
'The Sugar Plum Fairy'
(University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh Theatre) 2008
(#2 script, April 2007, on Zoetrope film script site)
(quarter finalist Slamdance Screenplay competition)
My Own Private Orchestra Penguin Books [ISBN 0-14-023050-5]
The Depths of Deception e-book
The Nog Sisters (novella) e-book
Flies for the Mayans (novella) e-book.
Pigman's Fingers (short story) online
-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.