Church and Theatre in South Africa

Theatre by its very nature has its very roots in religious practice, and as many have shown, the Christian Church as well as other religious orders, have always had a close - though not always amicable - relationship with theatre and performance. Besides the fact that a church service is in fact a theatrical event in and of itself, the church has on occasion over the ages made use of the stage to promote its message.

For more on this, see:

The same is true of South Africa. In this entry we consider some prominent moments in history when church and theatre publically supported or opposed each other.

The Temperance Movement[1] in Cape Town

The Anti-theatrical Campaign, Cape Town 1824-1838=

During the 1820s there were already protests in the press against theatre, the first apparently appearing in May 1824, protesting about the uncouth expressions and diaologue in a performance of Schiller's Kabaal en Liefde, followed by an English letter from "A True Friend" in the Cape Chronicle of 27 October, warning about the "very thoughtless unguarded and tremendous imprecations" of one of the actors. (F.C.L. Bosman, 1928: p. 343).

From 1832 onwards, the protests were fanned by the Methodist Church in England, prompting Charles Etienne Boniface to write his hilarious satire "De Niewe Ridderorde, of De Temperantisten" (The new Knighthood of Temperance). By 1836 the religious attacks had developed into a wave of puritanism which closed The African Theatrein 1838 and its sale to the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in 1839.

The Garrison Theatre probably remained open, and two years later was advertising productions again.

[JF/TH]

Sources

Bosman, F.C.L. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika.

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