Bloemfontein theatre in the 19thC

19th Century English drama and theatre in Bloemfontein
English literary and dramatic entertainments have a long history in Bloemfontein.

Bloemfontein Amateur Dramatic Club
(Also known as the Bloemfontein Liefhebberij Dramatisch Gezelschap). A bilingual, Dutch and English society founded in 1868.

Winter Evenings Entertainments
This was an initiative in Bloemfontein led by Reverend John Brebner to organise a weekly revue of song, music, recitation and theatre between the months of April and December yearly. Offshoots of this initiative included the Bloemfonteinse Toneelleesgroep and the Dramatic Branch of the Bloemfontein Literary and Scientific Society (founded in 1877), which included a dramatic entertainments branch. This branch later changed its name to the Bloemfontein Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society. Defunct by 1890.

The first of the Winter Evenings Entertainments was held in April 1875.

Bloemfontein Literary and Scientific Society
This society, founded in 1877 as an offshoot of the Winter Evenings Entertainments, also had a Dramatic Entertainments branch. (Called a Toneelleesklub ["playreading club"] or Toneelleesgroep ["playreading group"]in Afrikaans). It was also a fore-runner of the later Bloemfontein Shakespeare Circle. The society itself was defunct by 1890.

Bloemfontein Dramatic and Operatic Society
The name assumed by the Dramatic Entertainments section of the Bloemfontein Literary and Scientific Society in 1882. Along with the BLSS it was defunct by 1890.

(See Du Toit, 1988) [JH]

Bloemfontein Liefhebberij Dramatisch Gezelschap
(Also known as the Bloemfontein Amateur Dramatic Club). A bilingual, Dutch and English society founded in 1868.

Bloemfonteinse Toneelleesklub or Bloemfonteinse Toneelleesgroep
("playreading club" or "playreading group").

Sources