John Roman Baker
Encyclopedia
John Roman Baker is a British
poet, playwright and novelist mainly associated with the work of Aputheatre
(formerly Aids
Positive Underground Theatre). Winner of the Brighton Festival
award for Best Theatre in 1990 for his play 'The Ice Pick'. As a playwright his work is characterized by a focus on contemporary issues presented from a homosexual point of view.
In 1985 he was co-founder of the Sussex AIDS Helpline (aka Sussex AIDS Centre) one of the UK's first voluntary organisations established to campaign for and assist those affected by HIV
and AIDS
. This was also the catalyst for launching AIDS Positive Underground Theatre
- a cultural response to the AIDS
crisis with the aim of reaching a wider audience with images and situations relevant to the time.
Performed plays include:
Unperformed plays include:
His work has been produced in many countries. From 1990-1996 the Brighton
and Edinburgh Festival
s often saw the first performances of his new plays. In 1994 the success in Edinburgh of ‘In One Take’ led to performances at Teatri di Vita, Bologna, Italy. Since then, his work has continued to be popular in Italy and has been seen in Firenze, Modena, Forlí, L’Aquila, Reggio Emilia and Roma. His most popular work ‘The Ice Pick’ has been staged on multiple occasions in the UK and Italy as well as in the US at the Celebration Theatre
, Los Angeles
in 1993.
He moved to Amsterdam
, the Netherlands in 1997, where he continued the work of Aputheatre until 2008. During this period the focus of his work shifted and began to focus on the personal and social effects of pan-European migration following the collapse of communism.
In 1999 he updated and reworked ‘The Ice Pick’ for 2 characters under the title ‘Heroes’. ‘Heroes’ was toured by Aputheatre around the Netherlands before being performed in Warsaw as part of the 1st Polish Gay Pride festival. 'The Prostitution Plays' was premiered for Warsaw Gay Pride in 2000 and in 2001 his play 'Sexually Speaking 1+1' was presented in Kiev, Ukraine.
In April 2011 his publisher Wilkinson House announced a forthcoming novel entitled 'The Paris Syndrome' anticipated in August 2011.
, England. At the age of 19 he moved to Paris
, where for several years he worked at the British Institute
. His poetry was encouraged by the then director of the British Institute
, Francis Scarfe
. Later, in 1974 a volume of his poetry “Poèmes à Tristan” was published in French by Gérard Oberlé. He has always considered himself foremost a poet and a vein of poetry continues in his plays.
In 1970 he moved from Paris back to Brighton, where he lived with his partner Graham Wilkinson, the Director of the Sussex AIDS Centre, until his death in 1990. His poetic novel ‘The Dark Antagonist’ was published by the Unicorn Bookshop, Brighton in 1973.
Unwelcome notoriety was achieved when in 1974 he appeared with Tony Whitehead (later to become the first chairperson of the Terence Higgins Trust ) in a Southern Television
program about Gay Rights. They were pictured together kissing as one of them met the other off a train at Brighton station. As a result of this, Whitehead was immediately fired by his employer British Home Stores. A national outcry galvanized the gay rights movement led by CHE (The Campaign for Homosexual Equality)
and GLF (Gay Liberation Front)
.
His concern for gay rights and its expression through literature remain paramount in his life. He continues to live in Amsterdam
with his partner Rod Evan who has produced many of his plays.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
poet, playwright and novelist mainly associated with the work of Aputheatre
Aputheatre
Aputheatre began life as the Aids Positive Underground Theatre Company. Founded in 1989 at the Sussex Aids Centre in Brighton, England, the objective was to provide a cultural response to HIV and Aids. The company quickly established a reputation for hard-hitting drama very much in the In-yer-face...
(formerly Aids
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
Positive Underground Theatre). Winner of the Brighton Festival
Brighton Festival
The Brighton Festival is an annual arts festival which takes place in the city of Brighton and Hove in England each May. It was founded in 1966, and is the largest multi-art form festival in England...
award for Best Theatre in 1990 for his play 'The Ice Pick'. As a playwright his work is characterized by a focus on contemporary issues presented from a homosexual point of view.
Theatre
His first play 'Limitations' launched the first season of the Gay Sweatshop Theatre company.In 1985 he was co-founder of the Sussex AIDS Helpline (aka Sussex AIDS Centre) one of the UK's first voluntary organisations established to campaign for and assist those affected by HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. This was also the catalyst for launching AIDS Positive Underground Theatre
Aputheatre
Aputheatre began life as the Aids Positive Underground Theatre Company. Founded in 1989 at the Sussex Aids Centre in Brighton, England, the objective was to provide a cultural response to HIV and Aids. The company quickly established a reputation for hard-hitting drama very much in the In-yer-face...
- a cultural response to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
crisis with the aim of reaching a wider audience with images and situations relevant to the time.
Performed plays include:
- Crying Celibate Tears, 1989
- The Ice Pick, 1990
- Freedom to Party, 1991
- Easy, 1993
- In One Take, 1994
- The Last Century of Desire, 1995
- QueerBashed, 1995
- Russian Roulette; 1998
- The Pornographic Wall; 1998
- Heroes, 1999
- The Prostitution Plays, 2000
- The Club Beautiful, 2001
- Sexually Speaking 1+1, 2001
- The War Fuck, 2002
- East Side Skin, 2003
- Things Happen, 2004
- Romophobia, 2005
- Prisoners of Sex, 2006
- Touched, 2008
Unperformed plays include:
- Gala, 1990
- Ibsen’s Ghosts, 2004
His work has been produced in many countries. From 1990-1996 the Brighton
Brighton Festival
The Brighton Festival is an annual arts festival which takes place in the city of Brighton and Hove in England each May. It was founded in 1966, and is the largest multi-art form festival in England...
and Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
s often saw the first performances of his new plays. In 1994 the success in Edinburgh of ‘In One Take’ led to performances at Teatri di Vita, Bologna, Italy. Since then, his work has continued to be popular in Italy and has been seen in Firenze, Modena, Forlí, L’Aquila, Reggio Emilia and Roma. His most popular work ‘The Ice Pick’ has been staged on multiple occasions in the UK and Italy as well as in the US at the Celebration Theatre
Celebration Theatre
The Celebration Theatre is a 501 non-profit theatre company in Los Angeles, founded in 1982. The company is located in West Hollywood, on the west end of Theatre Row, and specializes in works representing the Gay and Lesbian experience.-History:...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1993.
He moved to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, the Netherlands in 1997, where he continued the work of Aputheatre until 2008. During this period the focus of his work shifted and began to focus on the personal and social effects of pan-European migration following the collapse of communism.
In 1999 he updated and reworked ‘The Ice Pick’ for 2 characters under the title ‘Heroes’. ‘Heroes’ was toured by Aputheatre around the Netherlands before being performed in Warsaw as part of the 1st Polish Gay Pride festival. 'The Prostitution Plays' was premiered for Warsaw Gay Pride in 2000 and in 2001 his play 'Sexually Speaking 1+1' was presented in Kiev, Ukraine.
Fiction
Published works include:- 'The Dark Antagonist', Unicorn Bookshop, Brighton, 1973. An unusual, mystical novel of a sexually repressed young man who encounters angelic forces.
- 'No Fixed Ground', Wilkinson House, London, 2011. A vivid, hallucinatory novel that explores a young man’s experience of friendship, sex and obsession amid the sexual liberation of mid-1970′s England.
In April 2011 his publisher Wilkinson House announced a forthcoming novel entitled 'The Paris Syndrome' anticipated in August 2011.
Personal life
John Roman Baker spent his childhood and much of his adolescence in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England. At the age of 19 he moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where for several years he worked at the British Institute
University of London Institute in Paris
The University of London Institute in Paris is a college of the University of London located in Paris. It is currently the only UK University Institute in Continental Europe.-History:...
. His poetry was encouraged by the then director of the British Institute
University of London Institute in Paris
The University of London Institute in Paris is a college of the University of London located in Paris. It is currently the only UK University Institute in Continental Europe.-History:...
, Francis Scarfe
Francis Scarfe
Francis Scarfe was an English poet, critic and novelist, who became an academic, translator and Director of the British Institute in Paris....
. Later, in 1974 a volume of his poetry “Poèmes à Tristan” was published in French by Gérard Oberlé. He has always considered himself foremost a poet and a vein of poetry continues in his plays.
In 1970 he moved from Paris back to Brighton, where he lived with his partner Graham Wilkinson, the Director of the Sussex AIDS Centre, until his death in 1990. His poetic novel ‘The Dark Antagonist’ was published by the Unicorn Bookshop, Brighton in 1973.
Unwelcome notoriety was achieved when in 1974 he appeared with Tony Whitehead (later to become the first chairperson of the Terence Higgins Trust ) in a Southern Television
Southern Television
Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...
program about Gay Rights. They were pictured together kissing as one of them met the other off a train at Brighton station. As a result of this, Whitehead was immediately fired by his employer British Home Stores. A national outcry galvanized the gay rights movement led by CHE (The Campaign for Homosexual Equality)
Campaign for Homosexual Equality
The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is one of the oldest gay rights organisations in the United Kingdom. It is a membership organisation which aims to promote legal and social equality for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in England and Wales...
and GLF (Gay Liberation Front)
Gay Liberation Front
Gay Liberation Front was the name of a number of Gay Liberation groups, the first of which was formed in New York City in 1969, immediately after the Stonewall riots, in which police clashed with gay demonstrators.-The Gay Liberation Front:...
.
His concern for gay rights and its expression through literature remain paramount in his life. He continues to live in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
with his partner Rod Evan who has produced many of his plays.