Dimpho di Kopane

Dimpho di Kopane was a South African theatre cooperative (2000-2007?) founded by conductor Charles Hazlewood and theatre director Mark Dornford-May.

Also found as Dimpho di Kopane Lyric Theatre Company or referred to by its acronym, DDK

Originally known as South African Academy of the Performing Arts.

History

In 1999, conductor Charles Hazlewood and theatre director Mark Dornford-May were invited to create a new theatre company in Cape Town. After auditioning in the townships and villages of South Africa, the mostly black lyric-theatre company was formed in 2000. It was called South African Academy of the Performing Arts, a name suggested by the then Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Ben Ngubane. Of the 40 members chosen then, only three had professional training as opera singers. The name was subsequently changed to Dimpho di Kopane – Sotho for “combined talents”)

This lyric theatre company subsequently toured London, Perth, Charleston, New Haven, Turkey, Dublin, Toronto and New York.

Spier created a 200-seater venue at Lynedoch Eco Village. It opened on January 31 2006 as the repertory home for the company. However, by June that year it closed.

Following tensions in the company between performers and the director, exacerbated by concerns over the company's finances, Dornford-May and his wife, Paulina Malefane, both resigned from the company. Bonnie Rodini was subsequently employed by the team at Spier to manage the company.

In May 2007, the company appealed to the Arts and Cuture Portfolio Committee for assistance in relaunching Dimpho Di Kopane with a new structure and with the aim of being self-sustaining. DDK now had offices in Mowbray. Bylelwa Cosa (Head of Production and actor) asked the Committee to help DDK in achieving its goals, thereby creating future work for other people. At this time, DDK was facing especial difficulties with finance, but had already created some jobs. The Committee responded warmly to the delegation’s request for assistance and support, offered specific guidance and advice, and advised the delegation to submit a business plan to be forwarded, after deliberation by the Committee, to the Minister for Arts and Culture.

It seems the company closed in 2007.

Productions

2001: In January, the company made its debut with Bizet’s Carmen (as U-Carmen) at the Spier Amphitheatre, Stellenbosch. They later also co-produced the film version, U-Carmen eKhayelitsha (produced by Spier Films in 2005).

2002: They produced a South Africanised production of The Beggar's Opera in Cape Town and London.

2004: They presented a version of The Rocky Horror Show the Spier Amphitheatre.

2004: The company presented its Season South Africa from October 27 to December 5 in the synod hall of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan. They presented four works in repertory: The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso, U-Carmen, The Beggar's Opera and Ikumkanikazi yeKhephu.

Some sources online, including Isango Ensemble's website, suggest or imply that much of Dornford-May's work in South Africa pre-2010 was created with or for Isango Ensemble, but Isango Ensemble was established once The Fugard Theatre ended Isango Portobello's occupancy at the venue in 2010. The earlier works were created with or for Dimpho di Kopane or Isango Portobello.