Aston Cooke

Aston Cooke is one of Jamaica's leading playwrights. Cooke began writing while he was a student at Wolmer's Boys' School in Kingston, Jamaica in the 1970s. His first one act play, "Pickle"‚ won several awards for Wolmer's Boys’ School in the Jamaica Secondary Schools Drama Festival.

In 1985, Aston Cooke was responsible for writing the first episodes of "Oliver at Large" for Jamaica's King of Comedy Oliver Samuels‚ which became Jamaica's most successful television series to date. The once popular radio series "Home Runnings"‚ presented by the Jamaica National Housing Trust on RJR and LOVE FM was also written by this prolific writer.

Aston Cooke's impressive writing portfolio includes LTM National Pantomime, "River Mumma and the Golden Table", "Children-Children", "Jamaica Run-Down", "Jamaica Pepperpot", "Front Room", "Country Duppy", "Kiss Mi Neck"‚ "Single Entry" and “Jamaica 2 RAHTID”.

Jamaica Gleaner reviews Country Duppy

Jamaica 2 Rahtid Reviewed by Tanya Batson

In 2006, Cooke joined up with young playwright Sabrena McDonald to write the television drama “High Grade” which aired on TVJ, CVM and CTV in Jamaica.

Cooke is Artistic Director of the Jamaica Youth Theatre, a group he founded in 2004 which serves as the performing arm of the Schools' Drama Festival of Jamaica. Jamaica Youth Theatre

A Communications professional, Aston Cooke worked extensively in Marketing Communications particularly in Public Affairs, Brand Development and Advertising. He served as Director of Boards for several organizations including Television Jamaica Limited and Jamaica AIDS Support.

Aston Cooke read for B.A. Mass Communications (1984) and M.A. Communications Studies (2001) at the University of the West Indies and B.Comm. and B.Comm. in Hospitality and Tourism Management (1993) at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Canada. He was the recipient of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship in 1989.