Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society

The Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society [1] is an amateur society founded in 1947, with the aim to foster interest in musical theatre, and the works of Sir William Schwenk Gilbert [2] and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan [3] ("G&S") in particular.

The Mayor of Cape Town at that time was appointed, ex officio, as the Honorary President of the Society, and all subsequent Mayors of Cape Town have held this position.

Aims and function

As an amateur society, productions are done entirely on a community theatre basis, that is, no performer is paid, and directors and specialist technicians are given honoraria only. Except for the annual donations which the Society makes to such enterprises as the music programme of the Amy Biel Foundation Trust, to the Cape Amateur Theatre Awards, and to the Cape Eisteddfod, any surplus income from productions is retained and put towards the costs of future productions.

The Society has produced at least one, and sometimes two operas, or other musical works, per year in and around Cape Town. For many years such performances took place in a range of venues, including the Labia Theatre, the Hofmeyr Theatre, and various Civic Centres. From 1983 onwards however, productions have been done at the Baxter Theatre or in the at the Nico Malan Theatre (later Artscape).

The Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan Society has toured to the International Festival of Gilbert and Sullivan in Buxton, Derbyshire, England a number of times, and won international awards there.

In the society's diamond jubilee year (2007), they received a Molteno Gold Medal from the Cape Tercentenary Foundation for a lifetime of service to the performing arts in the Western Cape.

For current information, see the Society's website at http://www.gilbertandsullivan.co.za/aboutus.

Productions

1947: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Cape Town City Hall.

1948: The Mikado, directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Cape Town City Hall.

1949: The Gondoliers and Iolanthe, both directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Labia Theatre.

1950: The Yeomen of the Guard and Patience, both directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Labia Theatre.

1951: The Mikado, directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Labia Theatre.

1952: The Pirates of Penzance and The Gondoliers, both directed by Mrs Jack West, in the Labia Theatre.

1953: Iolanthe, directed by Mrs Jack West; Trial by Jury, directed by Walter Price; H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Marjorie Hill, all in the Labia Theatre.

1954: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Mrs Jack West and Patience, directed by Marjorie Hill, both in the Labia Theatre.

1955: The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, both directed by Marjorie Hill, in the Labia Theatre.

1956: Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore and The Gondoliers, all directed by Marjorie Hill, in the Labia Theatre.

1957: Ruddigore, directed by Marjorie Hill, in the Labia Theatre.

1958: Iolanthe, directed by Marjorie Hill, in the Labia Theatre.

1959: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Ewald Williamson, in the Labia Theatre.

1960: Cox and Box, directed by Marjorie Hill; The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Billie Jones; The Mikado, directed by Nan Cunningham, all in the Labia Theatre.

1961: Princess Ida, directed by Nan Cunningham, in the Labia Theatre.

1962: Ruddigore in the Labia Theatre and Patience in the Hofmeyr Theatre, both directed by Nan Cunningham.

1963: The Gondoliers, directed by Nan Cunningham, in the Labia Theatre.

1964: Iolanthe, directed by Nan Cunningham, in the Labia Theatre.

1965: The Mikado, directed by Marjorie Hill, in the Labia Theatre.

1966: Trial by Jury, directed by Marjorie Hill and H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Billie Jones, both in the Labia Theatre.

1967: Cox and Box and The Pirates of Penzance in the Labia Theatre and Carousel in the Cape Town City Hall, all directed by Jennifer Craig.

1968: Princess Ida and The Mikado, both directed by Billie Jones, in the Labia Theatre.

1969: The Gondoliers, directed by Jennifer Craig, The Sorcerer and Trial by Jury, both directed by Billie Jones, all in the Labia Theatre.

1971: The Yeomen of the Guard and Iolanthe, both directed by Billie Jones, all in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1972: The Gondoliers and The Pirates of Penzance, both directed by Billie Jones, and Cox and Box, directed by Cliff Downey, all in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1973: Patience, directed by Billie Jones, Trial by Jury, directed by Nan Cunningham and H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Brigid Packham, all in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1974: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Billie Jones, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1975: The Gondoliers, directed by Jennifer Craig and Ruddigore, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1976: Iolanthe and The Pirates of Penzance, both directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1977: The Mikado, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1978: The Sorcerer, directed by Helen Houghton and H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Graham Boxall, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1979: Patience, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1980: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1981: The Gondoliers, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1982: Princess Ida, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Claremont Civic Centre.

1983: The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Baxter Theatre.

1984: Utopia, Limited, directed by Helen Houghton, Trial by Jury, directed by Joe Koekemoer and H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Teddy Davies, all in the Baxter Theatre.

1985: Ruddigore, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1986: The Mikado, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1987: Iolanthe, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1988: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Brenda Gray, in the Baxter Theatre.

1989: The Gondoliers, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1990: The Sorcerer, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Baxter Theatre.

1991: The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1992: Tarantara! Tarantara!, directed by Yvonne Copley, in the Little Theatre and H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Brenda Gray, in the Nico Malan Theatre.

1993: Patience, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Nico Malan Theatre.

1994: The Mikado, directed by Yvonne Copley, in the Baxter Theatre.

1995: Ruddigore, directed by David Matheson, in the Nico Malan Theatre and West Side Story, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1996: Half and Half, directed by Kyla Thornburn and taken on tour.

1997: Guys and Dolls, directed by Sheila McCormick, in the Little Theatre and The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Baxter Theatre.

1998: Iolanthe, directed by Yvonne Copley, in the Little Theatre and South Pacific, directed by Sheila McCormick, in the Nico Malan Theatre.

1999: The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Graham Boxall and Kyla Boxall, in the Baxter Theatre.

2000: Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2002: Carousel, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2003: The Sound of Music, directed by Brenda Gray, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2004: Iolanthe, directed by Helen Houghton, in the Maynardville Open-air Theatre and Annie Get Your Gun, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2005: The Pirates of Penzance, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2006: Trial by Jury, directed by Teddy Davies and The King and I, directed by Kyla Thorburn, both in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2007: The Gondoliers, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2008: My Fair Lady, directed by Ralph Lawson, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2009: H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2010: Annie, directed by Kyla Thorburn, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2011: Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2012: The Yeomen of the Guard, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre. Production staged in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

2013: Guys and Dolls, directed by Kyla Thorburn, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2014: Oklahoma!, directed by Teddy Davies, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.

2015: The Mikado, directed by Roché Haupt-Buckle, in the Artscape Theatre Centre.