Quibell Brothers

Also known as Quibell Brothers Show Management. The name under which the building contractors, theatre owners and theatre impressarios Ronnie Quibell (-2011) and his brother Quibell produced plays, musicals, and other entertainment.

The brothers also built cinemas and theatres on land they owned, including the Luxurama and the Three Arts Theatre in Cape Town.

Ronnie Quibell brought the arts to the coloured people in Retreat when he opened the Princess bioscope right next to the Retreat Hotel (known as The Bill). He later opened the Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg followed by the whites only Three Arts Theatre in Plumstead.

The company brought numerous shows and performers to South Africa. For years Ronnie, the “active” producer, battled the restrictions of the apartheid laws to manoeuvre international musicians onto South African stages. He presented a programme with Anna Russel and the German pianist Horst Jankowski in 1967. Vera Lynn returned to South Africa in 1967 for the Quibells with the comedian Tommy Trinder on the supporting bill. They brought Sidney James home to star in Wedding Fever at the Civic circa 1970. They also staged Don’t tell the Wife, with an entire London cast, headed by Jack Douglas circa 1970.

They presented Jerry Nicholls's production of the pantomime Cinderella at the Three Arts in 1972.

Spike Milligan performed at the Colosseum for the Quibells in 1975. He did so again in 1979, once again at the Colosseum. He staged Carnival à la District Six, written and produced by David Bestman and Taliep Petersen, at the Civic Theatre and later at His Majesty’s Theatre in 1980. He presented the comedian Shelley Berman, with Judy Page as a special artist at the Civic in 1981

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See also Ronnie Quibell

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