Afrikaansche Societeit

The Afrikaansche Societeit (Literally: "African Society") was a social club which acted as a centre for amusements including balls, card-playing, races as well as theatrical enterntainments, from the late 1700s until 1849.

Catering, as it did mostly, for the English officers and itinerant "Indian visitors", the emphasis was on English, especially after 1810, although the name suggests that Dutch also played a large part in its earlier years at least. Known as the Bataafsche Harmonie ("Batavian Harmony") from 1803 to 1810. It may thus have been used for French performances in 1805 , for there is a report in the Kaapsche Courant en Afrikaansche Berigter of 14 December, 1805, that a "Théâtre du Société" (correctly: Théâtre de la Société) was used for a benefit performance held for Charles Mathurin Villet by Les Amateurs de l'Isle de France.

[JH/TH]

Sources

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: pp. 42, 91

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