NTO Kamertoneel

NTO Kamertoneel("NTO Chamber Theatre") is a theatre experiment that flourished under the auspices of the National Theatre Organisation in Pretoria in 1958-9. The name was used by NTO both as the name for the activity/company, and for the theatrical venue.

The concept

The concept of Kamertoneel came from Belgium and and was brought to South Africa by Tone Brulin, and was based on similar theatres in Belgium. The term used to denote an "experimental theatre project or space". (The NTO version of it is also referred to simply as "Kamertoneel" by some writers.)

The NTO experiments

Two (linked) experiments were done in this regard, with a Kamertoneel in Pretoria and one in Belville, Cape.

Kamertoneel in Pretoria

In Pretoria a theatre space was set up by NTO to produce smaller, more experimental work. It was situated in an old gymnasium, the Harmony Hall (Harmoniesaal) in President Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria. The conversion was done by administrative personnel of NTO led by Michal Grobbellaar, utilizing private donations, a process which started with plans being drawn up in 1957-1958, and actual work began on the 14th October 1958.

The space opened on 17 November 1958 with Voorlopige Vonnis ("Provisional Sentence") by Jozef van Hoeck, directed by Tone Brulin.

Performances

This experiment lasted 10 months in which time they also did Seven Against the Sun (James Ambrose Brown), 'n Bruid in die môre (Hugo Claus), Uncle Joe and the Jukebox (Tone Brulin), Mag ek saamspeel (Marcel Achard), Moeder Hanna (Bartho Smit), Meisies van Vervloë Dae (Bartho Smit), Waiting for Godot (Beckett), The Chairs (Eugene Ionesco). The Nederlands Kamertoneel from Antwerp in Belgium also performed here, doing Een Vredesduif Braden (Jan Christiaens), Kent U de Melkweg? (Karl Wittlinger), Moord Romance (I.S. Black) and Wrok op Gisteren (John Osborne). In 1960 the space was renamed The National Theatre and later again in 1967 the Breytenbach Theatre after P.P.B. Breytenbach. (See also National Theatre Organisation and Breytenbach Theatre.) (See Michal Grobbelaar , 1985) Kamertoneel in PTA,. Ou Harmoniesaal, 18 November 1958 geopen( Presidentstraat 145, Pta. 200 sitplekke. Eerste opvoering was: Voorlopige Vonnis (Josef van Hoeck), regie Tone Brulin. Vertaal deur W.J. du P. Erlank vertaal uit Vlaams. Siegfried Mynhardt, Johan Malherbe, & Eone v/d Berg. Siegfried & Eone het in die eerste 2 opvoerings wat in 1948 deur die NTO gehou is, gespeel.

In Pta: Uncle & the Dukebox, Tone Brulin (regie), met Ivor v Rensburg, Bella Mariani, Ralph Bennitt, Warren Sands, Joycelyn de Bruyn & Tanya Barron. Waiting for Godot, (Becket) Tone Brulin & David Herbert, Gabriel Bayman & Gerrit Wessels. Kamertoneel het ook aan 5 dramastudente kans gebied om die hoofstadgehore te vermaak in Pta. Meisies van Vervloe Jare (Barto Smit) is saam met Moeder Hanna opgevoer.

Kamertoneel in Bellville

Voorlopige vonnis met Pieter Bredenkamp, Joey de Koker & Gerrit Wessels. Seven Against the Sun (James Ambrose Brown), Regie: Victor Melleney. (Arthur Hall, David Herbert & Pietro Nolte ? Nie seker Pta of Bellville nie). Een Bruid in Den Morgen (Hugo Claus), Tone Brulin (regie) In Pta het Pieter Geldenhuys, Wilma Stockenstrom, Laurika Meerkotter, Joan Brink & Dale Swanepoel. In Bellville: Pietro Nolte (reg), Wilma Stockenstrom, Pieter Bredenkamp, Chris Fourie, Joey de Koker & Tossie Lochner. Jan Rabie vertaal uit Vlaams.

In Bellville: The Chairs (Richard Daneel – Regie), weer The Cave Dwellers (William Saroyan) & Mornings at Seven (Paul Osborn). Mag ek Saamspeel? Marcel Achard vertaal deur Laurie v/d Merwe. Emsie Botha, Piet Bezuidenhout, Richard Daneel, Dale Swanepoel. Tone Brulin (regie). Johanna, die Soldaat van God, (Shaw), Fred Engelen (regie), WEG Louw vertaal.

Bellville. Ook The Trial, Kafka, UCT. Moeder Hanna (Bartho Smit )Milla Louw, Jan Bruyns, Lynette Kotze, Siegfried Mynhardt. . In Bellville – Moeder Hanna met: Babs Laker, Leonora Nel, Jan v Zyl, Cobus Rossouw & Matthys du Toit. In Bellville is dit vervang met Die Les (Eugene Ionesco) Robert Mohr (ook regisseur), Esther van Ryswyk, Elma Marais. School for Scandal (Sheridan) Leon Gluckman (Prod), UP, Margaret Inglis, Pieter Geldenhuys, Siegfried Mynhardt, Frank Wise, Joyce Grant, Nigel Hawthorne, Brian Proudfoot, Zoe Randall, David Laughton, Pamela Borain, David Beattie, Robert Del Kyrke, David Herbert, Yvonne Dur & Gerald Schuller. Victor Melleney (Prod. Manager), Frank Graves (set), Doreen Graves (costumes). Kaapland en Tvl het elkeen ‘n Jeugtoneelgroep gevorm en op reis gestuur met oa. Die Bruidskool (Moliere), The Prisoner (Bridget Boland). Nie vir Geleerdes (NP vWyk Louw) In gebruikneming van sy eie Nasionale Skouburg op 28 Junie 1960. NTO het ses dramas instudeer: The Cave Dwellers (William Saroyan), Romeo en Jeanette (Anouillh) Babs Laker & Laurie v/d Merwe, A moon for the Misbegotten (O’Neill) met Alec Bell, Die vonkel in haar oë (Gerhard Beukes), met Elsa Fouche. NTO jeuggroep: Jannie Gildenhuys, Cobus Rossouw, Leonora Nel & Irene Durr. Doen ook Dieselfde Pad (Kootjie v/d Heever).(Die groep het Pret & Plesier uit die Boekrak aangebied vir skole. Hulle het 248 keer opgetree en ‘n herlewing i/d studie van Letterkunde by skole bevorder. Her veroorsaak dat spellesings in bibs bevorder is. Vier dramas wat gedoen was: No exit (Satre), Mage k saamspeel? (Marcel Achard), The Bear (Tjekov), Miss Julie (Strindberg). Samewerking met Universiteite en die Alexander Teater: 1961.

Sources

Percy Tucker, 1997;

Michal Grobbelaar, 1985

For more information

See also National Theatre Organisation.

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