Pam Fraser Solomon

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

is a British producer/director of Guyanese heritage, whose work spans four decades in theatre, radio, film, television and education, winning prizes such as the

Commission for Racial Equality In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

"Race in the Media Award" in 1999. She worked for 16 years with

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

, where she was a senior producer. Her career in fringe and repertory theatre includes working for venues such as the

Sheffield Crucible The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to Crucible steel#History of production in England, crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 174 ...

and the

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...

, and she is currently the Head of Creative Producing at Mountview drama school.

Background

Born in Guyana and raised in London, England, Pam Fraser Solomon holds a master's degree from

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated to MDX) is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is ...

. Her early career included work in fringe and repertory theatre, with venues such as the

, the

and the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

, and as a director for theatre companies Temba and BTC ( Black Theatre Co-operative) in the 1980s.

Bonnie Greer Bonnie Greer, OBE FRSL (born 16 November 1948) is an American and British playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster, who has lived in the UK since 1986. She has appeared as a panellist on television programmes such as '' Newsnight Review'' an ...

quoted Fraser Solomon in a 2006 ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

'' article as saying: "In those days, black theatre was the new kid on the block, surviving from production to production or, if you were very lucky, season to season....The difference between black theatre and the rest was that many of us had degrees in drama or English, even physics – but we didn't dress the stage with it. You didn't have to be into theatre to make black theatre, and black theatre didn't always happen in black theatre spaces. But oddly, everyone knew exactly what they were talking about when they said 'black theatre'. Often we were expected to be 'black' and produce something alternative, preferably 'ghetto'. Funding bodies could ask you to be 'theatre' today and 'black' tomorrow. It was shifting sands." Speaking of how her Guyanese heritage and the experience of growing up in London as a Black woman has impacted her work, Fraser Solomon has said: "People like me with experiences that can inform characterisation and storytelling, subtly changing the emphasis, can lead drama away from comfort zones. This doesn't make me better than others, but it makes my contribution equally valid. I see the world through the eyes of a Black woman, so in that sense all my intuition eventually leads back to that fact." From 1991, Fraser Solomon was for 16 years a senior producer with

, where she directed more than a hundred hours of audio dramas, and she was involved in major arts events such as the Africa95 and Africa '05 festivals, as well as the 2007 Abolition commemoration season. She wrote and produced for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

in January 2001 the programme ''Stealing the Glory'', about the Arctic explorer

Matthew Henson Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866March 9, 1955) was an African American explorer who accompanied Robert Peary on seven voyages to the Arctic over a period of nearly 23 years. They spent a total of 18 years on expeditions together.

, presented by

Colin Salmon Colin Roy Salmon (born 6 December 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Charles Robinson in three James Bond films and James "One" Shade in the ''Resident Evil'' film series. He has had roles on many television series such as ''D ...

. Her television drama work encompasses producing several episodes of ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' and ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

'', and she was the development producer for the BBC short film ''One Night In White Satin''. She was an executive producer of the 2007 BBC2 television documentary ''In Search of Wilberforce'', presented by Moira Stuart. Also in 2007, Fraser Solomon produced on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

''The Lamplighter'', by

Jackie Kay Jacqueline Margaret Kay (born 9 November 1961) is a Scottish poet, playwright, and novelist, known for her works ''Other Lovers'' (1993), ''Trumpet'' (1998) and ''Red Dust Road'' (2011). Kay has won many awards, including the Somerset Maugham A ...

, who has written about the commissioning of the work for the season marking the bicentenary of the

Slave Trade Act 1807 The Slave Trade Act 1807 ( 47 Geo. 3 Sess. 1. c. 36), or the Abolition of Slave Trade Act 1807, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting the Atlantic slave trade in the British Empire. Although it did not automatica ...

: "After we had finished recording The Lamplighter, we sat around talking about the complex business of what we remember and what we forget. Pam Fraser Solomon said that her great grandmother, whose mother had been born enslaved, often had an enigmatic expression on her face. She'd say: 'I'm just listening to where the breeze is coming from.' I thought of all the silences - the silences from African people who do not want their children to hear about slavery, and from white people who do not want to discuss the family tree with its roots in a plantation in the Caribbean." Continuing her career as a freelance producer, director and script editor, Fraser Solomon was involved in projects including the production of the documentary film ''Divided by Race, United in War and Peace'', about Caribbean war veterans and their struggles against colour prejudice and racism. She took up the position of Head of MA Creative Producing at

Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, formerly Mountview Theatre School, is a drama school in Peckham, south London, England, founded in 1945. Mountview Academy provides specialist vocational training in acting, musical theatre and actor musicians ...

in 2018. She is also Co-Chair of Theatre Deli. Addressing the " smatch between

BAME A number of different systems of classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom exist. These schemata have been the subject of debate, including about the nature of ethnicity, how or whether it can be categorised, and the relationship betwe ...

stories and performances when compared to presence in the boardroom, she has written: "Organisations should examine internal structures that block gateways to leadership reflective of ethos and mission statement." Among her awards as a producer/director are a 1999

"Race in the Media Award" (RIMA) for Radio Drama as director of

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

's play based on C. L. R. James's 1936 novel '' Minty Alley'', first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1998, featuring

Geff Francis Geffrey Francis (born 1964), best known as Geff Francis, is a British actor from England who portrayed Lynford, a hoodlum, in the 1988 drama film ''For Queen and Country''. In 1986, he appeared as the title character in Channel Four's '' Zastro ...

, Vivienne Rochester and Burt Caesar. Fraser Solomon has served as a judge for prizes including The Whickers Radio & Audio Funding Award (RAFA) in 2020.

Selected work

Theatre

* 1990: Zindika, ''Paper and Stone'' — director (Black Theatre Co0operative, at the Albany Empire)

Radio

* 1995:

Ama Ata Aidoo Ama Ata Aidoo (23 March 1942 — 31 May 2023) was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academic. She was a Secretary for Education in Ghana from 1982 to 1983 under Jerry Rawlings's PNDC administration. Her first play, '' The Dil ...

, '' Anowa'' — director (

, ''The Sunday Play'') * 1995:

Henry Louis Gates, Jr Henry Louis Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950), popularly known by his childhood nickname "Skip", is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and the director of t ...

, ''Colored People'' (memoir), abridged by

, read by Henry Louis Gates — producer (

, five parts) * 1995:

A. S. Byatt Dame Antonia Susan Duffy (; 24 August 1936 – 16 November 2023), known professionally by her former married name, A.S. Byatt ( ), was an English critic, novelist, poet and short-story writer. Her books have been translated into more than thirt ...

, ''Gode's Story'', read by Sheila Mitchell — producer * 1995: Bola Makanjuola, ''Afternoon Play: Mule'' — director (BBC Radio 4, ''

Afternoon Play ''Drama'' (formerly ''Afternoon Theatre'', ''Afternoon Drama,'' ''Afternoon Play'') is a BBC Radio 4 radio drama, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm. Generally each play is 45 minutes in duration and approximately 190 new plays are broadcast eac ...

'') * 1996: C. L. R. James, '' Beyond a Boundary'', abridged by Margaret Busby, read by

Trevor McDonald Sir Trevor Lawson McDonald (born George McDonald; 16 August 1939) is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist, best known for his career as a news presenter with Independent Television News (ITN). McDonald began his career working as a ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4, five parts) * 1996: Nana Anto-Awuakye, ''Grinning from Ear to Ear'', presented by

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American actor, writer, and director, who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4) * 1996:

Ntozake Shange Ntozake Shange ( ;
FilmReference.com. Retrieved October 27, 2018. October 18, 1948 – October 27, 2018 ...

, '' Spell Number 7'', adapted by

, "The Monday Play" — producer (BBC Radio 3) * 1996:

Walter Mosley Walter Ellis Mosley (born January 12, 1952) is an American novelist, most widely recognized for his crime fiction. He has written a series of best-selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private in ...

, '' Devil in a Blue Dress'', abridged by Margaret Busby, read by

Paul Winfield Paul Edward Winfield (May 22, 1939 – March 7, 2004) was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film '' Sounder'' (1972), whi ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4, ''The Late Book'', 10 parts) * 1996:

Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerians, Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, and social rights activist. Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland ...

, ''Dilemma'', short story, read by Claire Benedict — producer (BBC Radio 4) * 1997:

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...

, "

Going To Meet the Man Going may refer to: *Go (verb) ** ''Going- to'' future, a construction in English grammar *Going (horse racing), the condition of a horse racing track surface. * Going (surname) *" Going!", a song by KAT-TUN *Way of going, a reference to the qualit ...

", read by Paul Winfield — producer (BBC Radio 4, ''The Late Book'', two parts) * 1997: Paul Beatty, '' The White Boy Shuffle'', read by

Ray Shell Ray Shell (born 22 September 1951) is an American film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, singer, director and producer. He is known for creating the roles of Nomax in '' Five Guys Named Moe'' (1990) and Rusty in ''Starlight Express'' (19 ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4, ''The Late Book'', 10-part serial) * 1997:

Barbara Kimenye Barbara Kimenye (19 December 1929 – 12 August 2012) was a British-born writer who became one of the most popular and best-selling children's authors in East Africa, where she lived from the 1950s.James Murua, , jamesmurua.com, 19 September 20 ...

, ''The Winner'', short story, read by Anthony Ofoegbu — producer (BBC Radio 4) * 1998:

Nicholas Monsarrat Lieutenant Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat FRSL RNVR ( 22 March 19108 August 1979) was a British novelist known for his sea stories, particularly '' The Cruel Sea'' (1951) and ''Three Corvettes'' (1942–1945), but perhaps known be ...

, ''Something To Hide'', read in seven parts by

Stephen Thorne Stephen John Thorne (2 March 1935 – 26 May 2019) was a British actor of radio, film, stage, and television. He was best known for his regular BBC Radio 4 work and audiobook recordings, and for his portrayals of a few ''Doctor Who'' villains, ...

— abridger and producer (BBC Radio 4, ''The Late Book'') * 1998: C. L. R. James, '' Minty Alley'', dramatized by Margaret Busby — director (BBC Radio 4) * 1999: Deborah Moggach, ''Playing the Part'', read by

Josie Lawrence Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4) * 1999:

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, vicomte de Saint-Exupéry (29 June 1900 – 31 July 1944), known simply as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (, , ), was a French writer, poet, journalist and aviator. Born in Lyon to an French nobility, aristocratic ...

, ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (, ) is a novella written and illustrated by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 and was published po ...

'', dramatized by

, produced by Keith Waithe — director (BBC Radio 4) * 2001: ''Stealing the Glory: the Conquest of the North Pole'', presented by

, 30-minute feature on Arctic explorer

— writer and producer (BBC Radio 4) * 2001: Michael McMillan, ''Hidden History: Blood for Britain'', drama about

Charles Drew Charles Drew may refer to: * Charles R. Drew (1904–1950), American physician, surgeon, and medical researcher * Charles Drew (cricketer) (1888–1960), Australian cricketer * Charles Drew (surgeon) (1916–1987), cardiothoracic surgeon * Char ...

— director (BBC Radio 4, ''

'') * 2001:

Fay Weldon Fay Weldon (born Franklin Birkinshaw; 22 September 1931 – 4 January 2023) was an English author, essayist and playwright. Over the course of her 55-year writing career, she published 31 novels, including ''Puffball'' (1980), '' The Cloning o ...

: ''Queen Gertrude PLC'', starring

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

— director (BBC Radio 4, ''The Saturday Play'') * 2001: ''Hidden History: Universal Tongue'', presented by

Rudolph Walker Rudolph Malcolm Walker CBE (born 28 September 1939) is a Trinidadian-British actor, best known for his roles as Bill Reynolds in ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1972–1976) and Constable Frank Gladstone in '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–1996), as wel ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4) * 2002: Lisselle Kayla, ''Love in the Afternoon – Courtin' Miss Lucie'', music by Keith Waithe — director (BBC Radio 4, ''Afternoon Play'') * 2003: Charles W. Chesnutt, ''

Tradition A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common e ...

'', dramatized by Cheryl Martin — director (BBC Radio 4, '' Classic Serial'') * 2003: Margaret Busby, ''Yaa Asantewaa'' (about

Yaa Asantewaa Yaa Asantewaa I (184017October 1921) was the Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, now part of modern-day Ghana. She was appointed by her brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Okese, the Edwesuhene, or ruler, of Edwesu. In 1900, she led the Ashanti ...

queen mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also ...

Ejisu Ejisu is a city in Greater Kumasi located along the Kumasi-Accra highway about 20 km from Kumasi. It is the capital of Ejisu Municipal Assembly, a municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate s ...

), featuring Glenna Forster-Jones — director (BBC Radio 4, ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History The first BBC programme for women was the programme cal ...

'', five-part serial) * 2004:

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...

, ''

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...

'', adapted by

Brian Sibley Brian David Sibley (born 14 July 1949) is an English writer. He is author of over 100 hours of radio drama and has written and presented hundreds of radio documentaries, features and weekly programmes. Among his adaptations is the 1981 version o ...

— director (BBC Radio 4, ''Classic Serial'', three parts) * 2005:

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

, ''

Northanger Abbey ''Northanger Abbey'' ( ) is a coming-of-age novel and a satire of Gothic fiction, Gothic novels written by the English author Jane Austen. Although the title page is dated 1818 and the novel was published posthumously in 1817 with ''Persuasio ...

'', dramatized by Dominic Power — director (BBC Radio 4, ''The Classic Serial'', three parts) * 2005: Margaret Busby, ''Nana'', read by Glenna Forster-Jones — producer (BBC Radio 3, Africa Season, ''Twenty Minutes'') * 2007:

, ''The Lamplighter'', narrated by Martina Laird, Aicha Kossoko, Clare Perkins and

Mona Hammond Mona Hammond (born Mavis Chin; 1 January 1931 – 4 July 2022) was a Jamaican-British actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born in Tweedside, Jamaica,

— producer (BBC Radio 3, ''Drama on 3'') * 2007:

Vivien Goldman Vivien Goldman (born 1952) is a British journalist, writer and musician. Early life and education Goldman was born in London in 1952, the child of two German-Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. She studied English and American literature at the ...

, ''The Black Chord'', presented by

Neneh Cherry Neneh Mariann Karlsson (; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, rapper, occasional disc jockey, and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a numb ...

– producer (

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

) * 2011: ''Stories from Notting Hill'', presented by

Kwame Kwei-Armah Kwame Kwei-Armah (born Ian Roberts; 24 March 1967 in Hillingdon, London) is a British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2005, Kwei-Armah became the second black Briton to have a play staged in London's West End when his award-w ...

— producer (BBC Radio 4)

Television

* 2006: ''One Night in White Satin'' — development producer (BBC TV) * 2007: ''In Search of Wilberforce'', presented by Moira Stuart, documentary examining the role of anti-slavery campaigner

William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...

— executive producer (

BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and d ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser Solomon, Pam Alumni of Middlesex University British radio directors BBC radio producers Black British women writers Black British writers British radio producers British television producers British theatre directors British women theatre directors Guyanese emigrants to England 20th-century Guyanese women writers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) British women radio producers 21st-century Guyanese women writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts