Amateur Theatre in South Africa

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Introduction

Amateur Theatre has been an integral feature of the development of the performing arts across South Africa over several hundred years, functioning as a creative, social and recreational activity within local communities, but also often in response to the absence of a regular, established or sustainable professional industry within a particular locale.

While evidence of amateur theatrics can be found for the colonial and post-colonial eras, it is widely acknowledged that aspects of drama existed in the lives of ordinary South Africans prior to the arrivals of settlers, soldiers and slaves in the mid 17th century. Such amateur dramatics would have featured within the rituals, pageantry and oral story-telling traditions of South Africa's black and first nation communities.

Traditions of organised amateur theatre performances emerged alongside the movement of peoples across South Africa in key historic events, such as the Great Trek (1830s to 1850s), the British occupation of Natal (1843) and Kaffraria (1847), the discovery of diamonds (1870s to 1900) and the discovery of gold (the mid 1880s), and as a by-product of the newly established colleges and universities around the country. The advent of permanent cinema (at the start of the 20th century) and television (in 1976) in South Africa impacted the support of amateur theatre.

In the 20th century, productions by amateur performers reflected the fractured political nature of South African society, with works ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas in city centre theatre complexes to protest theatre in township halls.

Amateur theatre has also often acted as a nursery for the professional arts industries, where artists from smaller centres across the country discover and develop their craft before moving to the larger metropolitan centres to seek out part-time or full-time employment as performing arts practitioners.

Terminology: Amateur and Amateur Theatre

In general terms, the word amateur derives from the French term amateur (derived from the verb aimer = to love, hence someone who loves something). Thus, used as a noun, an amateur is someone who undertakes something for the love of it, not for financial gain. This as opposed to a professional. As an adjective it can refer to a person or activity done without the aim of financial gain (amateur painter, amateur sport, amateur theatre, etc)

Amateur theatre thus, simply means theatre made by people who are not professionals, sinmply for the love of it. This encompasses a very wide range of performance activities of course, over the ages, cultures and geographical regions.

Overview of amateur theatre in South Africa

In order to accommodate the range of amateur theatre organisations across South Africa, this overview is categorised according to geographic location, using the nine current provinces as reference points:

  • Eastern Cape
  • Free State
  • Gauteng
  • KwaZulu-Natal
  • Limpopo
  • Mpumalanga
  • North West
  • Northern Cape
  • Western Cape

Amateur theatre in the Eastern Cape

There is evidence of organised performances by amateurs in the Eastern Cape region from 1837. British settlers and former soldiers began settling in the areas around Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown in 1820, and the annexation of the region known as Kaffraria by the British (in 1835 and again in 1847) saw a further influx of soldiers and European settlers. These groups brought with them traditions of popular European theatre and other entertainments. As towns and cities became established and grew, so too did the frequency of amateur performances and societies, with the greatest number seen in the larger centres of Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) and East London (originally called Port Rex in 1836, then London in 1848, then East London later that same year).

At least four amateur organisations in the Eastern Cape have been active for more than 70 years: the Port Elizabeth Gilbert and Sullivan Society (1932-2024, re-named in 2024 as Impact Community Theatre Company); the Port Elizabeth Musical and Dramatic Society (since 1945); the Port Elizabethse Afrikaanse Amateur Toneelvereniging (1951-2004, since 2005 as ATKV-tak PEAAT); and the Dramatic Society of East London (since 1952).

In the 1980s and early 1990s, CAPAB co-produced a number of productions with the amateur societies in East London (such as Arts Theatre Club and Dramatic Society of East London) and Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) (such as Port Elizabeth Gilbert and Sullivan Society). These were typically musicals that were mostly directed by David Matheson, and regularly featured an imported professional in the lead role. Productions included South Pacific (starring Ge Korsten), Hello, Dolly! (starring Judy Page).

East London

Amateur theatre in East London in the 20th century was championed by a number of key figures, including Mary Howe, Mary Kockott, Hazel Tennant, Lynette Alexander and George Mountjoy.

Early live performances took place at the Vaudette Theatre (cinema) in Argyle Street, the Cameo Theatre in Cambridge and the Gaiety Theatre in Oxford Street, though performances by amateurs typically took place in the East London City Hall (inaugurated in 1899), the John Bisseker Hall and at St Saviour's Hall.

In 1953, the East London Theatre Guild Association was established to raise funds for the building of a theatre. Members of the association came from affiliated societies from around the city, including the Afrikaner Klub, Association of Arts, Church Drama Club, Dramatic Society of East London, Komga Drama Club, Technical College Drama Club, Philharmonic Society and East London Music and Variety Club. Funds raised by the association, together with contributions from government and the local municapilty, resulted in the building of the Guild Theatre, which opened in October 1962. In 1965, the Orient Theatre was built near the Orient Beach.

For more information, see Guild Theatre.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth)

As far back as 1916, 1920 and 1937, concerts were staged in church halls and were a respected and accepted form of entertainment amongst Afrikaner communities. The Port Elizabethse Afrikaanse Amateur Toneelvereniging (PEAAT)was founded on March 22, 1951 by members of the PE West congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church in Newton Park, Port Elizabeth, and has been an active society ever since.

The Port Elizabeth amateur community benefited from several opportunities to work with seasoned and acclaimed professional performer-directors, like Will Jamieson (1950-1966), André Huguenet (1961) and Leslie French (1970-1975).

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Graaff-Reinet

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Jansenville

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Kariega (formerly Uitenhage)

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Komani (formerly Queenstown)

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown)

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Middelburg

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Qonce (formerly King William's Town)

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Stutterheim

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Amateur theatre in the Free State

Bloemfontein

In Bloemfontein, Onze Taal ('Our Language') took the lead under the guidance of DF Malherbe, among others. The local Grey-Universiteitskollege Toneelvereniging (Grey University College Dramatic Society), founded in 1907, was very active with their Afrikaans performances. Rose Ehrlich, an elocution teacher from Grey College, was actively involved with this organisation.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Fauresmith

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Harrismith

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Amateur theatre in Gauteng

Benoni

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Boksburg

Amateur societies over the years have included:

East Rand

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Eersterus

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Johannesburg

The Johannesburg Repertory Players was founded on 15 November 1927 by Muriel Alexander. She studied in London under the well-known Beerbohm Tree and moved permanently to South Africa in 1916 where she founded the Alexander School of Drama and Elocution. She had a thorough professional background. However, nobody would have guessed that when she and her fifteen students founded the Reps in 1927, the society would grow to 4000 members in 1955. This Reps was also founded with the aim to perform pieces the public would not otherwise get to see. Their first performance was R.U.R (Rossum’s Universal Robots).

Acclaim for the Reps’ high standard of work soon followed. In 1932, African Consolidated Theatres (a purely commercial group) asked them to perform Dangerous Corner under its guidance in His Majesty’s Theatre. In 1933, they also performed Arms and the Man there. During their first ten years they performed 66 plays, of which Muriel Alexander directed 35. In the early 1940s, the Reps used other directors, like Joan Heymann, Gwen ffrangcon-Davies, Marda Vanne, Nan Munro, Margaret Inglis and André Huguenet.

In 1951, the society opened its own Reps Theatre, which was renamed the Alexander Theatre in 1960, in honour of its founder. Hereafter the group became professional with Anthony Farmer as director and manager. Amateur performances continued through the Reps Associate Players, which was later known under the name Repertory Amateur Players (Raps).

The development of an amateur theatre organisation into a group with professional status with its own theatre is something unique in South Africa’s theatre history. The influence of the Johannesburg Repertory Players during the 1930s and 1940s can never be underestimated.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Kempton Park

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Krugersdorp

The Krugersdorp Dramatic Society was founded on 1 November 1928 on the initiative of Buster Harrison. Because of all the different interests of its members, its name was quickly changed to the Krugersdorp Dramatic and Operatic Society. On 27 July 1931 the Krugersdorp Council gave official recognition to the society and from then on the name was bilingual: Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society (KMDOS)/Krugersdorpse Munisipale Vereniging vir Drama en Opera. On 12 January 1930 P.P.B. Breytenbach, better known as Breytie, became part of the committee. He actively campaigned for the performing of Afrikaans plays. From 1935, KMDOS annually performed at least two Afrikaans and two English public plays, but often more. Breytenbach was a supporter of General Hertzog’s political ideas and he thought that theatre was a way to unite English and Afrikaans communities.

KMDOS’s tenth birthday took place concurrently with the Simboliese Ossewatrek (a symbolic ox wagon trek to commemorate the Voortrekkers) which was an emotional experience for many Afrikaners. In Krugersdorp both language groups were involved in the festivities. The winning pieces of a bilingual playwright competition with the theme The Great Trek were performed in December 1938. They were Magdalena Retief by Uys Krige and Sword of the Wilderness by Winifred Dashwood.

The start of the Second World War generated unplanned advantages for KMDOS and other theatrical groups. Because of changes in the entertainment industry many professional actors were available as directors: Lydia Lindeque, Hermien Dommisse, Leontine Sagan, Siegfried Mynhardt and Anna Neethling-Pohl.

The KMDOS contributed greatly to South African theatre. The playwrighting competitions of 1932, 1938 and 1949 made an important contribution to South African drama. Another distinction of KMDOS was that it combined all the facets of the theatre into one society and involved both the Afrikaans and English communities. The West Rand Symphony Orchestra was incorporated in 1948, with the well-known Anton Hartman as conductor. The society was then known as the Krugersdorp Municipal Theatrical and Orchestral Society [[[KMTOS]]]/Krugersdorpse Munisipale Teater- en Orkesvereniging. Its 21st anniversary was celebrated in 1949 with the performance of the winning pieces of a third playwrighting competition: Kleurskema ('Colour Scheme') by Anton de Waal and Vivian Styger and None but the Bold by Don F. Corbett.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Pretoria

In Pretoria, the Afrikaans-Hollandse Toneelvereniging (AHTV) (Afrikaans-Dutch Dramatic Society), founded in 1907, took the lead. The society’s management included Gustav Preller, G. Wolmarans, Jan F.E. Celliers and Harm Oost. The plays Ou’ Daniel ('Old Daniel') by Harm Oost and Piet s’n Tante ('Piet’s Aunt'), a translation of Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, were the society’s most popular plays during these years. Together with their leading actor, Stephanus Mare, Preller and Oost raised the awareness of theatre in the countryside. For 12 years, Mare was constantly on stage and he can be seen as an important forerunner of the first professional Afrikaans actors.

In the 1920s, Stephanie Faure performed plays with students from the Transvaalse Universiteitskollege ('Transvaal University College', later the University of Pretoria).

Through a fortunate coincidence, in 1935 there were quite a number of trained drama enthusiasts in Pretoria: Leonie Pienaar, dr W.H. van der Merwe, P.J. du Toit and Hélène Güldenpfennig. Under the guidance of Anna Neethling-Pohl, who shortly before was involved with the founding of KAT in Cape Town, these talents joined forces to form Ons Teatertjie-toneelgroep ('Our Little Theatre Drama Group'). By the end of 1936 its name was changed to Volksteater-vereniging (T'heatre Society for the Nation').

Already with its first performance, Ibsen’s Boumeester Solness (The Master Builder), it was evident that this group would deliver quality work. It approached new writers like J.F.W. Grosskopf, F.W.S. Schumann, Fritz Steyn, Van Wyk Louw, H.A. Fagan, Gerhard Beukes and W.A. de Klerk and performed their new dramas. Although not all the plays were of equal standard, it was evident that Volksteater was a kind of experimental theatre organisation. The society existed until the 1970s.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Roodepoort

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Amateur theatre in KwaZulu-Natal

In 1635, a group of stranded Portuguese soldiers on the Natal coast commemorated their patron saint’s day by performing a comedy. This is an early example of a performance by amateurs in South Africa.

Durban

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Kokstad

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Pietermaritzburg

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Westville

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Amateur theatre in Limpopo

Amateur theatre in Mpumalanga

Ermelo

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Amateur theatre in the North West

Amateur theatre in the Northern Cape

Amateur theatre in the Western Cape

Bellville

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Cape Town

The Seventeenth Century

There is no indication that there were any public performances in the southern tip of Africa during the 17th century. At this time, the Cape was a halfway refreshment station between The Netherlands and Batavia (Indonesia).

The Eighteenth Century

In the 1770s, performances were regularly given (on the first day of each month) as entertainments for the garrisoned soldiers at the Cape. The American War of Independence (1776 - 1783) had changed the Cape in terms of social and cultural life as France had an agreement with the Netherlands to send 2000 to 3000 soldiers to Cape Town to defend it in the event of an attack. These pleasure-seeking soldiers of the Garrison turned Cape Town into a ‘Little Paris’, converting their casern into a theatre and performed plays with a great spirit of enterprise.

Similar performances continued in 1800 during the First British Occupation (1795 – 1802). The British troops were very aware of the shortage of diversion in a Dutch community who was also antagonistic towards them. A group of enterprising officers were enthusiastic theatre players and they performed plays in a part of their hospital. The specially adapted part of the hospital became known as the Garrison Theatre.

The Nineteenth Century

The Garrison Theatre was too small to accommodate all the interest and activities and building on South Africa’s first theatre started in 1800: the African Theatre or Afrikaansche Schouwburg. It was used as a theatre until 1839 and is now known as the St Stephen’s Church. The various language groups formed their own dramatic societies and performed in the theatre. The English groups were stimulated from time to time by visiting professional players on their way to the East.

After the Second British Occupation (1806), the Dutch population organised their own performances with permanent amateur members. The key societies from this period were: Tot Leering en Vermaak, later known as Tot Nut en Vermaak [1803 - 1847] under J.G. Tredoux; Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (1803 - 1828) with the well-known C.E. Boniface as their leader; Vlyt en Kunst [1834 - 1838] and Het Privaat Hollandsch Toneellievend Gezelschap (founded in 1849), which in the second half of the 19th century grew into the most important Dutch society.

The English community followed this pattern and founded the English Theatricals (1823 - 1830), which was revived as the British Amateur Company under the guidance of H. Booth, a professional player, from 1834 to 1838.

The Twentieth Century

In Cape Town, Melt Brink and J.H.H. de Waal were the pioneers of the development of Afrikaans amateur theatre. This awakening was connected to the so-called Second Afrikaans Language Movement, which had been promoted by De Waal through his magazine De Goede Hoop ('The Good Hope') since 1903. Because of this, by 1910 there were Afrikaans performances right across the country and even permanent theatrical groups in the cities. In the smaller towns plays were performed by well-organised debating societies, and theatre in the countryside was promoted by the Christelike Jongeliede-Verenigings [CJV] (Christian Youth Societies).

The Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society [Reps] was founded in 1920. The main aim of this society was to perform pieces of literary, artistic and educational value for the public. The group’s first performance was The Merchant of Venice, which was performed on 6 August and was hugely successful. For many years the Reps in Cape Town delivered performances of a very high standard. During the 30s and 40s it was their policy to perform six plays per year. Their performances were of a high quality because they could often make use of professional directors and players. In 1939, in collaboration with the Johannesburg Repertory Players, Leontine Sagan was invited to work as their director. From 1931, the Reps could also use the University of Cape Town’s Little Theatre, with the result that they could use professional technicians. The Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society was without a doubt the leading English theatrical society in Cape Town during this time.

As a result of the initial work done by the Oranjeklub ('Orange Club') since 1915, there was by 1934 a big interest in Afrikaans Theatre in Cape Town. After Anna Neethling-Pohl performed P.W.S. Schumann’s Hantie kom Huistoe ('Hantie comes home') enthusiasm was so great that the Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (KAT) (Cape Town Afrikaans Theatre Society) was founded on 13 May 1934, with H.A. Fagan as chairman.

The KAT began promisingly by performing unpublished as well as translated plays. After the establishment of KAT there existed for the first time a real indication of an Afrikaans theatrical life in Cape Town in so far as a single amateur organisation could create one. Several new dramas were performed for the first time by KAT. The society’s continuation over 21 years proved that there was a need for a professional Afrikaans company in Cape Town.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Ceres

Amateur societies over the years have included:

George

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Heidelberg

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Milnerton

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Oudtshoorn

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Paarl

Afrikaans theatre started to develop as a form of theatre, arising from an increasing awareness of Afrikaner identity and also encouraged by the founding of the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners (GRA) ('The Association of Real Afrikaners') in Paarl in 1875.

The first Afrikaans theatrical performance probably took place in a house in Daljosefat in the Paarl district under the guidance of D.F. du Toit, better known as ‘Oom Lokomotief’ (Uncle Locomotive). The performance took place in the early 1860s, and was later repeated in Montagu. Two pieces were performed, of which one was called De Jonge Kunstskilder ('The Young Artist'). The plays were translated from Dutch as no plays had been written in Afrikaans at that point.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Plettenberg Bay

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Robertson

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Simonstown

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Somerset West

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Stellenbosch

In the Afrikaans-speaking community, the practice of dramatic art for its own sake took place in the circles of the university colleges during the 1920s. In Stellenbosch, such activities were under the guidance of J.F.W. Grosskopf.

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Wolseley

Amateur societies over the years have included:

Worcester

Amateur societies over the years have included:

National amateur theatre organisations

National amateur theatre organisations have included:

Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV) (1936)

The Afrikaans Language and Culture Association established to promote, support and encourage the use of Afrikaans and cultural participation by Afrikaans-speakers among its members and the South African Afrikaans community. Events promoting amateur theatre in Afrikaans include:

ATKV Amateur Toneelkompetisie ("ATKV Amateur Play Competion")

ATKV Kampustoneel ("ATKV Campus Theatre")

ATKV Tienertoneelkompetisie ("ATKV Theatre Competition for Teenagers")

Afrikaanse Toneel vir Onderwyskolleges

Association for Performing Arts (1987)

The Federation of Amateur Theatrical Societies of Southern Africa FATSA (1938-1960)

Founded in 1938. Though no Afrikaans societies attended its foundation meeting, many Afrikaans groups later affiliated with them and so FATSA became a bilingual (Afrikaans/English) organisation. It was the first umbrella society to combine all the amateur theatre societies nationally. FATSA celebrated its 21st anniversary in 1959, but was disbanded in 1960 when state-sponsored performing arts councils were established in each of the then four provinces.

For more information, see Federation of Amateur Theatrical Societies of Southern Africa.

The National Amateur Theatre Festival

Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie Toneelgroep ("South African Police Theatre Group")

Swart Afrikaanse Gemeenskapstoneel (SAG) (“Black Afrikaans Community Theatre”)

Sources

In this discussion, the period 1652-1947 is based in part on an entry written for ESAT by the author and academic P.J. (Peet) du Toit, based on his own comprehensive thesis and subsequent book on amateur theatre in South Africa. For a more complete account of that particular period see: P.J. du Toit (1988).

Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: pp.

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik.

Elizabeth Conradie. 1934. Hollandse skrywers uit Suid-Afrika. Deel 1 (1652-1875) 'n Kultuur-historische studie. Pretoria, J.H. de Bussy and Cape Town H.A.U.M..[2]

Elizabeth Conradie, 1949. Hollandse skrywers uit Suid-Afrika. Deel 2 (1875-1905) 'n Kultuur-historische studie. Pretoria, J.H. de Bussy and Cape Town H.A.U.M..[3]

H.I.E. Dhlomo. 1939. "Nature and variety of tribal drama" in Bantu Studies 13, 1939

P.J. du Toit. 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica

Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg: p.

Sydney Paul Gosher. 1988. A historical and critical survey of the South African one-act play written in English. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Pretoria: University of South Africa.

William Groom. 1899-1900. Drama in Cape Town. Cape Illustrated Magazine, 10(4): 478-481, 517-520, 547-552, 580-584, 640-643, 670-672, 706-708.

Arthur Hoffman and Anna Romain Hoffman. 1980. They Built a Theatre. The history of the Johannesburg Repertory Players. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.

Ingmar Koch. 1997. Het ochtendgloren boven Kaapstad. Nederlandse rederijkers in Kaapstad, Tydskrif vir Nederlands & Afrikaans. (4de Jaargang, Nommer 2. Desember)[4]

Loren Kruger 1999. The Drama of South Africa: Plays, Pageants and Publics Since 1910 London: Routledge

P.W. Laidler. 1926. The Annals of the Cape Stage. Edinburgh: William Bryce.

Credo Vusamazulu Mutwa. 1973. "On the theatre of Africa" in S’ketsh, Summer 1973

Olga Racster. 1951. Curtain up! The story of Cape Theatre. Juta, Cape Town, 1951

Beryl Bowie. 2005. East London - heart of Buffalo City.

See also: South African Theatre/Overview and Professional theatre

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