Bellvillese Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging

The Bellvillese Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging is an Afrikaans amateur drama society in Bellville, Cape Town.

The name of the group is variously given as the Bellville Amateur Toneelgeselskap, Bellville Amateur Toneelgroep, Bellville Afrikaanse Toneelgeselskap, Bellville Afrikaanse Teater, or the Bellvillese Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging by the sources over the years. Most often referred to by its acronym of B.A.T. (or BAT) however.

The acronym is not to be confused with that of the British American Tobacco[1] company, which is also referred to as BAT.

History of the company

B.A.T. was started in 1951 and during the 1960's the patron of the society was Mrs. Mona Bezuidenhout, but detailed information on this group and their theatre is rather scant.

The BAT company

The name of the group is variously given as the Bellville Amateur Toneelgeselskap, Bellville Afrikaanse Toneelgeselskap, Bellville Afrikaanse Teater, or the Bellvillese Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging. The acronym is also found win the form B.A.T.

The names of members or actors particpating in their productions over the years appear to have included:

Linn Audagnotti, Fanie Bekker, Mona Bezuidenhout, Tienie Botha, Yvonne Britz, André Coetzee, Johan Engelbrecht, Trynie Ganzevoort, Johan Mocke, Amanda Muller, Rudie Nagelmaeker, Kristo Pienaar, Elsabé Pietersen, Gert Pretorius, Laetitia Schoonraad, Barnsie Senekal, Gerrit van der Merwe, Tobie van Eck, Martin van Niekerk, Madeleine Viljoen, J.C. Weij,

The BAT Theatre

The group has its own 88 seater theatre, called the BAT Theatre (BAT Teater, BAT-teater or B.A.T. Teater in Afrikaans), situated at Alexander Road Bellville in Boston, Bellville. They also made use of and performed in the Bellville Civic Theatre om occasion.

Productions by B.A.T.

Some of their productions listed in ESAT are:

Die Eerste Oogopslag (1957), Alle paaie gaan na Rome (1957), Die Markplein (1979), In Liefdevolle Herinnering (1957), Klatergoud (1966), Speelgoed van Glas (1966), Mr Pim Passes By (1968), Die Vonkel in Haar Oë! (1968), Stilte Asseblief (1972),

The production dates for the following productions unknown: Ai tog die Mansmense!, Ek Onthou vir Mamma,

They also collaborated on productions with other companies and institutions over the years. e.g.:

Die Koopman van Venesië (with the University of Cape Town's Speech and Drama Department and the Cape Town based K.A.T., 1955); Germanicus (with NTO, 1957),

,

The B.A.T. Spring Drama Festival

This is a theatre festival for local amateur societies hosted by B.A.T. in the Bellville venues, inter alia hosting Camps Bay Operatic and Dramatic Society with Mr Pim Passes By in October 1968.