Roodepoort Civic Theatre

The Roodepoort Civic Theatre is the original name of a publicly funded theatre in the city of Roodepoort, situated in the Civic Centre in Florida Park, Roodepoort.

In some cases referred to as the Roodepoort City Theatre, it was later traded as the Pro Musica Theatre (or Promusica Theatre). In 2014 became known simply as the Roodepoort Theatre.

The venue was the home of Pro Musica Productions (also referred to as the Pro Musica Production Company or simply as Pro Musica).

For more information on the history, structure and productions of the production company, see Pro Musica Productions.

History and management

It opened on 14 February 1981 with Weiss Doubell as the first director of the theatre. As a community facility, it is responsible for inter alia community theatre with professional and amateur drama, dance, choirs, singers and actors from Gauteng and the production of world class performances, and the development of new South African stage and musical talent.

On the initiative of and under the direction of its first director, Weiss Doubell, the theatre became, apart from a receiving theatre, also a producing theatre with its own production units – the Pro Musica Orchestra, Pro Musica Opera Company and Pro Musica Opera Chorus. The name of the theatre itself was also later changed to the Pro Musica Theatre. Besides the operatic productions, the venue also engaged in a diverse range of genres, including music and musical theatre, comedy, and children’s theatre.

The venue itself was initially subsidised by the Roodepoort City Council (later the City of Johannesburg), but gradually sponsorships had to be found to help finance the theatrical and musical enterprises undertaken there, including projects such as audience development, and productions, to ensure sustainability.

The first director of the theatre and production companies, Weiss Doubell, retired in 2008. In 2008 the production units - Pro Musica Orchestra, Pro Musica Opera Company and Pro Musica Opera Chorus - were disbanded.

In 2012 the City of Johannesburg, as part of its Institutional Review, resolved that Joburg Theatre and Pro Musica (the trade name for the Roodepoort City Theatre) be integrated into a single theatre management company to be known as Joburg City Theatres (JCT), and created the new Soweto Theatre. The effective date of the integration was 1 January 2013.

The theatre’s name was now changed to the Roodepoort Theatre, under the leadership of JCT’s Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Jay, with Xoliswa Nduneni Ngema taking over as CEO in July 2013.

Venues

The theatre operates as a 328 seater auditorium and an 80 seater box theatre.

Productions

The performing arts councils, especially the Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal (PACT), often presented their productions in the Pro Musica Theatre. As a community theatre, the theatre was always available to schools (operettas, revues, choir festivals), ballet companies (Ballet Theatre Afrikan, Johannesburg Youth Ballet), dance companies (Roodepoort Dance Festival), theatrical companies (ATKV, RUKO, Roodepoort Little Theatre, Theandaba Spielbühne), bands (Tony Yoko’s Jazz Band) and other local artists. Much importance was attached to performance opportunities for the youth. Many young soloists made their opera debut with the Pro Musica Orchestra including Johan Botha, Estelle Kruger, Sally du Randt, Kobie van Rensburg, Deon van der Walt.