UCT Little Theatre

The Little Theatre is a theatre space within the multi-purpose venue built by the University of Cape Town on the Hiddingh Campus in Orange Street, Cape Town.

(Also referred to as the "UCT Little Theatre" or simply as "The Little" in English and as "Die Kleinteater" in Afrikaans).

The venue

It is a fully-fledged theatre space with a proscenium arch, built-in seating, an existing lighting rig and sound system, a foyer with a cash bar, as well as dressing rooms. It seats 210 people when fully booked. The Little Theatre is supported by the Drama Department’s Workshop and Wardrobe.

History

Creation of the first venue

The multi-purpose venue was built by the University of Cape Town on the Hiddingh Campus in Orange Street, Cape Town at the urging of Prof. William Henry Bell, with the help of Prof Bohle and messrs Roding and Hawkins (clerk of works), to house drama and opera productions. A converted chemistry laboratory, it was initially seen as an experimental training venue and had a stage as large as the auditorium, seating only 194 people.

Inaugurated on 18th of August 1931 with a production of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull (directed by Arthur Sewell). The first Opera held at the Little Theatre was Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto ("The Secret Marriage") in 1933 with Guiseppe Paganelli as producer.

The second venue

After a very successful run of Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart (premiered on 15 March 1933), the local press canvassed for the rebuilding of the auditorium. The University Council authorised the modifications and by May 1934 it was approaching completion.

The people responsible for making these alterations possible were, Prof. W.H. Bell (General Director 1931-1934), Mr. J.E.H. Duckworth (Assistant Director and lighting specialist), Mr. Brian Mansergh (Designer and Architect) and Prof. A.E. Snape (construction advisor).

The auditorium plan was based on the so-called continental seating plan, with continuous rows with only side isles, giving spectators an uninterrupted view of the whole stage. It now seated 300. The refurbished theatre was opened with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

In October 1934, a program made up of three works all with music by Bell was performed in affection to the retiring director of the Little Theatre and South African College of Music. He was replaced as director by Prof Donald Inskip.

In 1936 presentations of scenes from plays directed by students as part of their basic training were incorporated in the theatre’s events calendar. In 1938 The Cape Town City Council made a decision to build a civic theatre to the loyal Cape Town Repertory Theatre’s delight, but with the outbreak of war in 1939, the 40,000 Pounds earmarked for the project was allocated to war charities instead and the civic theatre had to wait until the late 1940s. In 1938 Donald Inskip went on a visit to Europe and convinced Leontine Sagan to undertake another ‘residency’ at the Little Theatre.

The same month as Britain entered the Second World War, a fire broke out in the Little Theatre causing minor damage to the kitchen, but luckily leaving the theatre unharmed. Noel Coward also visited the Little Theatre in the war years and gave a performance to the service men and woman, accompanied by Norman Hackforth.

With Inskip’s return from the U.K. in 1950 Leonard Schach who was left as general director of the theatre had lead to a closer link between the Department and the Faculty of Arts. This lead to a break with the College of Music. A really tight-knit drama school and production unit was now firmly established.

Fire in 1952

In 1952, the Little Theatre’s workshops caught fire for a second time and most of the wardrobe and workshop was destroyed. The costumes for Doreen Graves’ rendition of Gogol’s The Government Inspector which was to be staged in a couple of days was located in the sewing room and in this way was saved from the massive destruction of the fire.

The stage itself was not harmed and, despite the fierce smell burning, the performance of The Government Inspector went forth as scheduled. Over 21 years of costumes collected were destroyed, workshop gear and tools reduced to ashes and spaces used for teaching or as offices were annihilated. On account of the fire the opportunity to reconstruct the drama school was taken. The workshop roof was raised, making painting easier. Teaching studio’s were made more spacious and a proper broadcasting training set-up was constructed.

21 years' anniversary

In 1952, the Little Theatre celebrated its twenty-first birthday and the University Council authorized the printing of a special commemorative brochure called “Coming of Age” in which due tribute was paid to the people and players who had collaborated in upwards of 300 productions since the theatre’s beginnings.

For these celebrations Leonard Schach put on Lady Windermere's Fan, which opened on August 23rd and was followed a month later by Rosalie van der Gucht's production of Aeschylus’ Oresteia.

Theatre companies

In order to promote theatre in Cape Town, Bell and Duckworth made the theatre available to any dramatic society in the city free of charge, though all proceeds went to the theatre. Thus, for example, it became the ‘home’ of the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society between 1934 and 1948, during which time they did 50 productions. Over the years, the theatre has served as a venue for many institutions and theatre companies in Cape Town, including: