Eric Abraham (producer)

Eric Abraham (born March 1954)[lower-alpha 1] is a South African-British producer and former journalist and activist. Born and raised in South Africa, he moved in 1977 to England, where he lived in exile for 15 years for his reporting in opposition to the South African apartheid government in the press. He has since worked in theatre and screen, co-founding the London-based Portobello Productions as well as Cape Town's Isango Portobello and Fugard Theatre.[2]

Eric Abraham
BornMarch 1954
Wynberg, Cape Town, South Africa
Alma materUniversity of Cape Town
OccupationProducer
Years active1981–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2003)​
[1]

Early life and education

Abraham was born in the Wynberg area of Cape Town, South Africa, and grew up in Rondebosch. His father was a naval commander who had arrived in South Africa from Hungary before World War II to escape antisemitism.[3] Abraham attended South African College High School, where he participated in school productions and ran a film society. He received a Spectemur Agendo Award from the school in 2019 for his contributions to civil liberties and the performing arts.[4]

Abraham studied Law at the University of Cape Town, but has said that he was "hardly ever at lectures because there was something more important in those days" as a student union leader and activist.[5]

Career

He began his career in journalism, setting up the South African News Agency (SANA) as a correspondent on human rights abuses and black politics in South Africa for foreign press outlets such as the BBC and The Guardian. He was placed under a five-year banning order and house arrest by the apartheid government in 1976 for his reporting. After receiving death threats, Abraham fled South Africa to Botswana clandestinely with external help in January 1977. He could not return to his home country until apartheid ended, and he was granted political asylum in the UK, where he found a job as a producer for the BBC television programme Panorama.[5][6]

He went on to become a successful film and theatre producer, with several successful productions including the Academy Award-winning Kolya (1996).[3][7] He was founding producer of the Fugard Theatre in the District Six area of Cape Town (2010 to 2021), which served as a home for the Isango Portobello Company.[8][9]

Filmography

Film

Television
  • Panorama, BBC (1981–1983) – 7 episodes
  • Seal Morning (1986) – 6 episodes
  • ScreenPlay (1986) – 1 episode
  • Lost Belongings (1987) – Miniseries
  • Danny, the Champion of the World (1989) – television film
  • Othello (1989) – television film
  • The Maestro and the Diva (1990) – documentary
  • A Murder of Quality (1991) – television film
  • Still Life at the Penguin Cafe (1991) – television film
  • True Tilda (1997)
  • Dalziel and Pascoe (1997–1998) — 11 episodes
  • Falls the Shadow: The Life and Times of Athol Fugard (2012) – documentary

Notes
  1. Some websites report his middle name being spelled Antony and others Anthony.

References
  1. Sulcas, Roslyn (6 June 2014). "Interview With a Torturer". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  2. Petzer, Brett (25 March 2013). "SA Power 100 – 2013: Eric Abraham". The South African. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  3. Martin, Wendyl (17 January 2015). "Fugard owner Abraham in line for Oscar glory". IOL. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  4. South African College High School (22 October 2019). "Spectemur Agendo Award Eric Abraham". Retrieved 3 December 2021 – via Facebook.
  5. "Eric Abraham". Theatre Live. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  6. Dawtrey, Adam (10 December 2006). "Abraham returns from exile". Variety. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  7. Eric Abraham profile at The Guardian.
  8. "Creating a theatrical home". IOL. 8 September 2009.
  9. Wagner, Leonie (21 March 2021). "From Apartheid Museum to Fugard Theatre: How Covid-19 is closing cultural landmarks". Times Live.
  10. Davis, Nashira (24 February 2015). "Oscar No 2 for Eric". Times Live. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  11. Fick, David (23 February 2015). "IDA, co-produced by Fugard Theatre's Eric Abraham, Wins Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
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