Janet Suzman (born 9 February 1939) is a South African actress and director. is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early life

Born in Johannesburg to a Jewish family, the niece of civil rights/anti-apartheid campaigner, Helen Suzman, she was educated at Kingsmead College, Johannesburg, and at the University of the Witwatersrand where she studied English and French. She moved to London in 1959. This article is about the city in South Africa. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Helen Suzman was born Helen Gavronsky on 7th November 1917 in Germiston, South Africa as the daughter of Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants. ... Kingsmead College is a private girls school situated in Melrose, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. ... The University of the Witwatersrand (pronounced vit-vaters-rant, with flat vowels -- see South African English) is a leading South African university situated in Johannesburg. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Career

After training for the stage at LAMDA, Suzman made her debut as Liz in Billy Liar at the Tower Theatre, Ipswich in 1962. She then became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 and started her career there as Joan of Arc in The Wars of the Roses (1962-64). The RSC gave her the opportunity to play many of the Shakespearean heroines, including Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Ophelia in Hamlet, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Celia and Rosalind in As You Like It, Lavinia in Titus Andronicus and a notable Cleopatra in 1973. Although her stage appearances tended to run naturally towards Shakespeare and the classics, including Ibsen's Hedda Gabler , Chekhov's The Three Sisters, Marlowe, Racine, Gorky, Brecht, she has also appeared in plays by Genet, Pinter, Ronald Harwood, Nicholson, Albee and others. Main LAMDA building on Talgarth Road The MacOwan Theatre The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), founded 1861, is a leading British drama school in west London. ... For other uses, see Billy Liar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Ipswich (disambiguation). ... Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a British theatre company. ... The War of the Roses is a play cycle by William Shakespeare consisting of the history plays Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, Henry V, Henry VI, Part 1, Henry VI, Part 2, Henry VI, Part 3, and Richard III and the comedy The Merry Wives... William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... For the film, see Loves Labours Lost (2000 film). ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1596 and 1598. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... Taming of the Shrew by Augustus Egg The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Walter Deverell,The Mock Marriage of Orlando and Rosalind, 1853 William Shakespeares As You Like It is a pastoral comedy written in 1599 or early 1600. ... Title page of the first quarto edition (1594) The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeares earliest tragedy. ... Anthony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. ... Shakespeare redirects here. ... Actress Cate Blanchett in the title role of Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler is both a play and a fictional character created by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. ... Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian short story writer and playwright. ... The Three Sisters is a play, written in 1900 and first produced in 1901, by Russian author Anton Chekhov. ... This article is about the English dramatist. ... Jean Racine, in an engraving by Pierre Savart. ... Aleksei Maksimovich Peshkov (In Russian Алексей Максимович Пешков) (March 28 [O.S. March 16] 1868–June 18, 1936), better known as Maxim Gorky (Максим Горький), was a Soviet/Russian author, a founder of the socialist realism literary method and a political activist. ... {{dy justified his choice of form, and from about 1929 on he began to interpret its penchant for contradictions, much as had Eisenstein, in terms of the dialectic. ... Jean Genet (French IPA: ) (December 19, 1910) – April 15, 1986), was a prominent, controversial French writer and later political activist. ... Harold Pinter, CH, CBE (born 10 October 1930) is an English playwright, screenwriter, poet, actor, director, author, and political activist. ... Ronald Harwood (born November 9, 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a playwright and writer. ... Nicholson may refer to: Nicholson, Georgia Nicholson, Pennsylvania Nicholson (Lunar crater) Seth Barnes Nicholson This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Edward Franklin Albee III (born March 12, 1928) is an American playwright known for works including Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Zoo Story, The Sandbox and The American Dream. ...

Films and TV

She appeared in many British television drama productions in the 1960s and early 1970s, including Saint Joan (1968), Three Sisters (1969), Macbeth (1970), Hedda Gabler (1972), Twelfth Night (1973), and Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective (1986). Her first film role was in 1971, in Nicholas and Alexandra, and she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA and the Golden Globe for her portrayal of the Empress Alexandra. This was followed by A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1972) opposite Alan Bates. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Saint Joan is the title of: a 1923 play by George Bernard Shaw a 1957 movie (based on the play) directed by Otto Preminger Saint Joan of Portugal was a Princess of Portugal, daughter of Afonso V of Portugal. ... Chekhov in a 1905 illustration. ... This article is about Shakespeares play. ... Actress Cate Blanchett in the title role of Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler is both a play and a fictional character created by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... Liber Amoris Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935—7 June 1994) was a controversial British dramatist who is best known for several widely acclaimed television dramas which mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. ... The Singing Detective The Singing Detective was a 1986 BBC television miniseries, written by Dennis Potter and starring Michael Gambon. ... See also: 1970 in film 1971 1972 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 8 - Bob Dylans hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New Yorks Academy of Music. ... Nicholas and Alexandra, ... is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last of Russias monarchs, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra. ... Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Princess Alix of Hesse, as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (1872-1918) Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (Alix Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice, 6 June 1872 - 17 July 1918), was the consort of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last Tsar of Russia. ... A Day in the Death of Joe Egg is a 1967 play by British playwright Peter Nichols. ... Alan Bates as butler in Gosford Park (2001) Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE, (February 17, 1934 – December 27, 2003) was a British actor. ...

Janet Suzman (far right) as she appears in the film Nicholas and Alexandra with Michael Jayston and Roderic Noble

She has made few films since, the best-known being Don Siegel's The Black Windmill (1974), Nijinsky (1980), Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract (1982), A Dry White Season, (1989) with Marlon Brando, Federico Fellini's E la Nave Va (1989), Nuns on the Run (1990), a rare comedy performance. Image File history File links RodericNoble291. ... Image File history File links RodericNoble291. ... Don Siegel (October 26, 1912 - April 20, 1991) was an influential American film director. ... The Black Windmill is a British spy thriller released in 1974. ... See also: 1973 in film 1974 1975 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in USA May 1 - George Lucas creates the first draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... Peter Greenaway, CBE (born 5 April 1942) is a Welsh-born English [1] film director. ... The Draughtsmans Contract is a 1982 film written and directed by Peter Greenaway. ... // This is the year of film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which will become the highest grossing movie for almost 15 years (until Titanic), earning double or triple against any major film of the 1980s. ... A Dry White Season is a 1989 film starring Marlon Brando, Donald Sutherland, and Susan Sarandon. ... // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Federico Fellini (January 20, 1920 – October 31, 1993) was one of the most influential and widely revered film-makers of the 20th century. ... E la Nave Va (English:And the ship sails on) is a 1983 film by Federico Fellini. ... // Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... Nuns on the Run is a popular British comedy film of 1990, starring Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle. ... The year 1990 in film involved some significant events. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ...

Later years

Back in her native South Africa, she has directed Othello, which was also televised, and Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan (renamed The Good Woman of Sharksville) both at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. She has also recently toured her modern adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard - a South African response entitled The Free State. She wrote, starred in and directed this piece with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Other productions with Suzman as director include A Dream of People at the RSC, The Cruel Grasp at the Edinburgh Festival, Feydeau's No Flies on Mr Hunter (Chelsea Centre, 1992); Death of a Salesman (Theatr Clywd, 1993); and Pam Gems's The Snow Palace (Tour and Tricycle Theatre, 1998). For other uses, see Othello (disambiguation). ... The Good Person of Sezuan, also known as The Good Woman of Setzuan, is a play by the German playwright, poet, theatre critic, and theorist Bertolt Brecht. ... The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa was established in 1976 as an independent non-racial theatre under apartheid South Africa. ... Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian short story writer and playwright. ... Bust of Anton Chekhov at Badenweiler, Germany The Cherry Orchard (Вишнëвый сад or Vishniovy sad in Russian) is Russian playwright Anton Chekhovs last play. ... Birmingham Rep (formerly Birmingham Repertory Theatre) is a theatre in Birmingham, England. ... The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. ... Georges Feydeau, (8 December 1862 - 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the era known as La Belle Epoque. ... For other uses, see Death of a Salesman (disambiguation). ... Pam Gems (born 1 August 1925) is an English playwright considered to be part of the Feminist Theatre group which also includes Caryl Churchill. ...

Recent activities

In 2002, she returned to the RSC to perform in a new version of The Hollow Crown with Donald Sinden, Ian Richardson and Derek Jacobi. In 2005, she appeared in the West End in a revival of Brian Clark's 1978 play Whose Life Is It Anyway? starring Kim Cattrall. In 2006, she directed Hamlet and in 2007, she is scheduled to play Volumnia in Coriolanus in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sir Donald Alfred Sinden, CBE (born Plymouth, 9 October 1923) is an English stage and film actor. ... Ian William Richardson CBE (7 April 1934 – 9 February 2007) was a Scottish actor best known for playing the Machiavellian politician Francis Urquhart in the House of Cards trilogy for the BBC. // Born in Edinburgh, Richardson was educated at Balgreen Primary School and Tynecastle High School in the city,[1... Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE (IPA: ) (born 22 October 1938) is an English actor and director, knighted in 1994 for his services to the theatre. ... West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland. Along with New Yorks Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre... Whose Life Is It Anyway? was originally written for television by Brian Clark in 1972. ... Kim Victoria Cattrall (born August 21, 1956, in Widnes, England) is an English-born Canadian actress. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... Gaius Marcius Coriolanus was a 5th century BC Roman general. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ...

Suzman is the author of Acting With Shakespeare: Three Comedies, a book based on a series of acting master classes.

She holds Honorary D.Litt. degrees from the Universities of Warwick, Leicester, London (QMW), Southampton, Middlesex and Kingston. Doctor of Letters (Latin: Litterarum doctor; D.Litt. ... The University of Warwick is a British campus university located on the outskirts of Coventry, West Midlands, England. ... University of Leicester seen from Victoria Park - Left to right: the Department of Engineering, the Attenborough tower, the Charles Wilson building. ... Affiliations: University of London Association of Commonwealth Universities 1994 Group Website: http://www. ... The University of Southampton is a university situated in the city of Southampton, on the south coast of Great Britain. ... Middlesex University is a university in north London, England, located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex (from which it takes its name). ... Kingston University is a university in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London. ...

Her marriage (1969) to director Trevor Nunn, which ended in divorce (1986), was a famous theatrical alliance. A theatre director is a principal in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a play by unifying various endeavors and aspects of production. ... Sir Trevor King (born 14 January 1940) is a loser and film director. ...

See also

• List of South Africans
• List of Jews from Sub-Saharan Africa

This is a list of notable South Africans with Wikipedia articles. ... This page is a list of Jews. ...

External links

Janet Suzman at the Internet Movie Database The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...