Brian Brooke Company

The Brian Brooke Company was a theatre company founded in Cape Town.

History

Founded by Brian Brooke and his new wife Petrina Fry, when he returned to South Africa in 1946.

Based in Cape Town (1948-1954)

The Brian Brooke Theatre Company utilized the Hofmeyr Theatre as its base (1948 to 1954), but also toured, notably to the Transvaal, under the auspices of African Consolidated Theatres. Their productions in this time included:

1948: Present Laughter (1948)

1949: Present Laughter, No Room at the Inn, The Heiress

1950: Edward, My Son (it closed after five days), Traveller's Joy, See How They Run

1951: A Worm's Eye View

1952: They started bringing out British guest artists to appear with the company in 1952, starting with Cecil Parker for The White Sheep of the Family (1952) and Emlyn Williams for Charles Dickens (1954) and Dylan Thomas: A Boy Growing Up (1956).

Based in Johannesburg (1955-1978)

In 1955 they moved to Johannesburg where Brooke designed and built the Brian Brooke Theatre. They opened with The Deep Blue Sea (1955) and followed this with over 300 plays in South Africa, touring many of them, concentrating on light farce, drawing room comedy and musicals. Key directors and artists who worked with them over the years included Rex Garner.

Among their productions were:

1956: The Reluctant Debutante

1957: Separate Tables

1958: Janus, Grab Me a Gondola

196?: Poor Richard

1960: The Chalk Garden, Charley's Aunt

1963: Mary, Mary, The Sound of Music

1965: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

1966: Tevye and His Daughters (co-produced with Taubie Kushlick), Listen to the Wind (co-produced with Taubie Kushlick), The Minstrel Show, The Odd Couple (with Anthony James)

1969: Harvey

1972: You Can't Take It With You

1973: Any Wednesday