Bellville Civic Theatre

The Bellville Civic Theatre was the first purpose built municipal civic theatre in the country.

Known as the Bellville Stadskouburg in Afrikaans and the Bellville Civic Theatre in English. Also referred to as the Bellville Civic Centre. , more popularly known as the Bellville Civic Theatre,

For more on the concept of a municipal or civic venue, see Civic Theatre

The venue

Designed by architect Johannes Anthonie Smith as a cultural and social centre Cape Town’s Northern suburb Bellville, the building hosted a 750 seater auditorium, a banqueting hall and a conference room.

The theatre venue itself was designed to specifications supplied by National Theatre Organisation (NTO)), and Smith commissioned the Pretoria artist Leo Théron to design and execute a large mosaic mural for the entrance foyer of the Civic Theatre.

The theatre was opened in 1956 with the NTO production of Germanicus by N.P. van Wyk Louw.

Serving as a community centre, the complex’s facilities can be hired for theatrical and musical productions, conferences, meetings and parties, and it has been used by various other school, university, professional and amateur performing companies over the years, including National Theatre Organisation (NTO), the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) and the local group known as Bellvillese Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (BAT).

It also hosted numerous larger theatre events over the years, including festivals and competitions, among them the regional trials for the annual ATKV drama competition, annual Tygerberg International Eisteddfod and one-off events like an Afrikaanse Toneelweek ("Afrikaans theatre week") in September of 1965.

Productions

Among the prominent theatrical works performed there over the years have been:

1957: Germanicus by N.P. van Wyk Louw

1959: Opdrifsels by H.A. Fagan

1960: Romeo en Jeanette, Johanna, die Soldaat van God

1961: The Prisoner by Bridget Boland

1964: Hester die Maltrap by Gerrit Naudé

1965: Caesar by André P. Brink, Marionet aan die Muur by Hélène Pienaar-De Klerk (1965)

1966: Speelgoed van Glas by Tennessee Williams

1968: Mr Pim Passes By by A.A. Milne, Arme Marat Aleksei Arbuzov, Elektra by Sophocles, Die Vonkel in Haar Oë! by Gerhard J. Beukes

1973: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

1978: Mattewis en Meraai by P.G. du Plessis

1983: Kyk Hoe Hol Hulle by Philip King

1988: Kringe in 'n Bos by Dalene Matthee and Peet van Rensburg

1991: Run for your Wife by Ray Cooney

1995: Hups in die Hydro by Pieter Fourie

2014: The Lyons by Nicky Silver

Sources

https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/archframes_mob.php?archid=1581

https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes.php?bldgid=8413

https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/archframes.php?archid=5420

https://www.lekkeslaap.co.za/attractions/bellville-civic-centre

https://tygerbergeisteddfod.co.za/

https://tygerbergeisteddfod.co.za/locations/bellville-civic-centre/

Greyvenstein, Walter 1988. The history and development of children's theatre in English in South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.

Go to ESAT Bibliography