The National Theatre Organisation, or NTO, was a state funded organisation founded to promote and produce theatre in Afrikaans and English in South Africa - the first such organisation in the British Empire. (In Afrikaans it was called Nasionale Toneelorganisasie),

It is perhaps best known and referred to in sources by its acronym: NTO

History

Pre-history

Over the years before 1947 a growing number of individuals, organisations and institutions had been agitating for a form of state intervention and the founding of some kind of "national theatre" in South Africa.

The culminating moment came with the advent of a rapidly growing indigenous professional theatre movement in the country, particularly in the years 1936 and 1947, when a strong and concerted thrust towards this ideal emerged. In this period the names of numerous prominent (white) theatre personalities and academics are found in the minutes of meetings and on petitions, among them: Muriel Alexander, S.P.E. Boshoff, F.C.L. Bosman,Hélène Botha,Myles Bourke, P.P.B. Breytenbach, John Connell, Hermien Dommisse, W.J. du P. Erlank ("Eitemal"), Gwen ffrangçon-Davies, Hendrik Hanekom, L.W. Hiemstra, André Huguenet, Margaret Inglis, Donald Inskip, Rayne Kruger, T.H. le Roux. W.E.G. Louw, Nan Munro, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Leontine Sagan and Marda Vanne. Among the organisations that involved themselves in this were FATSSA, the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge ("Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Associations"). (FAK).

However, given the nature of the society at the time, this push was coming from a very specific segment of the South African population, namely the white "European" citizens. On the other hand there was at this time also another lone, but compelling, voice with different message and interpretation of the notion of a "National Theatre" for the country. The playwright and cultural leader H.I.E. Dhlomo, wrote a series of articles expounding his notion of a national African theatre in **. While interesting at the time, these ideas were really only picked up much later , when Dhlomo's works had regained attention in the late 1970's, notably through the publications of Tim Couzens - when they informed much of the debate surrounding the notion of black theatre and indigenous theatre in the (coming) "new South Africa".

An important step forward came in 1945, when the then Minister of Education, Arts and Science (Mr J.H. Hofmeyr) instituted a commission of enquiry, led by Dr G.W. Eybers (chairman) and J.J.P. O'pt Hof (secretary), to study the educational and social needs of the country after the second world war. The so-called Eybers Commission of Enquiry, into post war social issues that a National Council for Adult Education (NCAE) be founded, under the chairmanship of Dr Eybers.

P.P.B. Breytenbach (principal of a prominent technical school and the founding chairman of FATSSA), was appointed as a member NCAE, and in this capacity persuaded the theatre-loving Dr Eybers to create a sub-committee devoted to theatre matters. The first such committee began work in 1947, chaired by Breytenbach, with Steve Naudé as secretary and Anna Neethling-Pohl of Volksteater, Major Myles Bourke of the UDF Entertainment Unit and Professor Donald Inskip of the University of Cape Town's Little Theatre as members. This committee immediately set about preparing and submitting an ambitious proposal for a sponsorship for all the performing art forms, based on an outline prepared by Myles Bourke, to the council.

In response Minister Hofmeyr, allocated £400 (plus a loan of £3 600) to the Federation of Amateur Theatrical Societies of South Africa (FATSSA), to organise bilingual tours of theatre only, in 1948. This was to be a preliminary experiment.

Founding and early days

The founding of the new company was officially announced on 21 June 1947. There was an outcry from the professional fraternity at the allocation to FATSSA, refusing to be "organized" by amateurs, thus the original idea was scrapped and the sub-committee, still chaired by Breytenbach, was now enhanced by the addition of two professionals, Leontine Sagan and André Huguenet. This committee became a mediatory body for the experiment, and later the controlling body of NTO. In the early days André Huguenet also acted as the Company Manager.

Actual work on productions started with the artistic advisors (Sagan, Neethling-Pohl and Huguenet), going on a national tour in late 1947 to muster support and audition potential performers, and in 1948 the first productions went on tour. (See below).

The administrative structure

The directorate met for the first time in Johannesburg on 7 July 1947 and gradually Breytenbach, Inskip and Bourke took over the day to day running of the organisation. In 1948 the board was enlarged with the addition of more professionals, academics, and representatives from interested parties. Thus Elizabeth Sneddon, Marda Vanne, F.C.L. Bosman, S.H. Pellissier, J.J.P. O'pt Hof (representing the Council) and P.J. Theron (Director of Adult Education) also became members. In 1952, Breytenbach became its full time Director, and also moved to Pretoria, with F.C.L. Bosman taking over as chairman (1952-1953), followed by Geoff Cronjé (1954-1961).

In 1957 a regional office was also established in the Bellville Civic Theatre, in the Cape. Managed by Laurie van der Merwe, it had its own regional advisory board chaired by W.J. du P. Erlank.

The office and production staff

In 1948 Doris Lancaster became the first formal appointment of NTO, as full-time secretary (initially working with Breytenbach in Krugersdorp, before moving to offices in Pretoria in 1950). In 1952, Breytenbach became NTO's full time Director, and also moved to Pretoria. Over the years the staff complement was to include Michal Grobbelaar (technical advisor, 1955-1962, and from 1958 production manager Afrikaans), Victor Melleney (production manager, English 1958-1962), Frank Graves and Doreen Graves (designers), and the press officers Piet Bezuidenhout (Pretoria), Nellie Kruger (Johannesburg) and Muriel Kavanagh (Cape Town).

Marda Vanne was appointed artistic advisor in 1950,

Artistic staff

Below are the names (and links to entries on) some of the many creative and technical people who worked (longer term or ad hoc) for NTO as directors, actors, designers, stage managers, etc. They are listed in alphabetical order:

Directors

Among the directors who worked for NTO on a contract basis were Tone Brulin, Richard Daneel, Johan de Meester, Basil Dean, Hermien Dommisse, Gwen ffrangçon-Davies, Fred Engelen, Aletta Gericke, Jannie Gildenhuys, Leon Gluckman, André Huguenet, John Hussey, Margaret Inglis, Taubie Kushlick, Robert Langford, Victor Melleney, Robert Mohr, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Pietro Nolte, Truida Pohl, John Roberts, Leontine Sagan, Leonard Schach, Anna Richter-Visser, Bartho Smit, Schalk Theron, Elizabeth Sneddon, Laurie van der Merwe, Suzanne van Wyk, Marda Vanne, Margaret Webster, Clifford Williams,

Actors

A Gwen Adeler, Noëlle Ahrenson, Keith Anderson, Louisa Aucamp,

B Bryan Bales, Limpie Basson, David Beattie, Fanie Bekker, Piet Bezuidenhout, Joan Blake, Gracelina Bosman, Louw Botes, Bet Botha, Dawid Botha, Kobus Botha, Roelof Botha, Peter Boyce, Joyce Bradley, Pieter Bredenkamp, Bill Brewer, Andries Brink, Leon Brink, Jan Bruyns, (or Jan Bruijns), Elspeth Bryce,

C Cecil Cartwright, Hazel Casson, Esmé Celliers, Alan Chadwick, Robert Cheetham, Anna Cloete, Bettie Coetsee, Marcia Colville, Philippa Conradie, Lorna Cowell, Bob Courtney (also known as Robert Courtney), Ben Cronjé,

D Aedwyn Darroll, Ted Darroll, André de Jongh, Sann de Lange (also San de Lange), Zoë de Villiers, Michael Drin, Joanna Douglas, Vivienne Drummond (also known as Vivien Drummond),

E Nita Economides, Honor Edmonds, Erna Eksteen, Fay Engelbrecht, Retha Erasmus,

F Gordon Fergusson, Ulrich Fobian, Bobbette Fouché, Elsa Fouché, Gilyan Francesco,

G Pieter Geldenhuys, Aletta Gericke, Jannie Gildenhuys, Leon Gluckman, Leonard Graham, Joyce Grant, Michal Grobbelaar, Anton Grobler, Martie Groenewald, Berdine Grünewald,

H Mathilde Hanekom, Hendrik Hanekom, Tilana Hanekom, Mary Hewison, Anna Romain Hoffman, Hannes Horne, André Huguenet, John Hussey,

I Margaret Inglis,

J Edna Jacobson, Will Jamieson, Susan Jansen, Glyn Jones,

K Elma Krynauw,

L Babs Laker, Robert Lang,Barry Lategan, Rolf Lefebre, Georgie Linder, Lydia Lindeque, Alto Loots, Jacques Loots, Aubrey Louw, Helena Louw, Milla Louw,

M Marjorie Malan, Johan Malherbe, Harry Mann, Doreen Mantle, Francois Marais, Mary Mitchell, Helix Meyer, Mari Minnie, Etrecia Mocke, Glenys Morgan, Pamela Murray, Patrick Mynhardt, Siegfried Mynhardt,

N Wena Naudé, Nilo Naudé-van Zijl, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Leonora Nel, Johann Nell, Pietro Nolte, James Norval,

O Merilyn Oates,

P Arnold Pearce, Michael Perry, Isabel Pienaar, Louis Pienaar, Truida Pohl, Jane Potgieter, Billy Pretorius, Dalene Pretorius, Emgee Pretorius, Brian Proudfoot,

Q

R June Range, Kita Redelinghuys, Roma Reilly, Daan Retief, David Ritch, Dolly Robyn, Sheelagh Ross, Cobus Rossouw,

S Harry Sarber, Gottfried Scholtz, Hélène Scholtz, Jan Schutte, Molly Seftel, Hymie Shapiro, Stephanie Shiller, Pat Simpson, Dulsie Smit, David Smith, Danie Smuts, Timothy Spring, Cornelia Stander, Jobie Stewart, Charles Stodel, Derek Swanepoel, Francois Swart,

T Tromp Terre'Blanche, Patrick Trevor (or Pat Trevor),

U

V Oswald van Blerk, Enone van den Bergh (also known as Enone Murray), Gert van den Bergh (also Gert van den Berg), Kobus van der Colff, Eghard van der Hoven, Laurie van der Merwe, J.A. van der Vyver, Dawid van der Walt, Petro van der Walt, Jaco van der Westhuizen, Japie van Niekerk, Pikkie van Niekerk, Reenen van Niekerk, Johan van Rensburg, Francois van Wyk, Johan van Zyl, Marda Vanne, Hannes Venter, Leendert Verdoorn, Salie Vermaak, Louw Verwey, Eugene von Bülow,

W Ronald Wallace, Barry Wallman, Dan Welman,Gerrit Wessels, Clifford Williams, Robert Whitfield, Pieter Wilcocks, Frank Wise,

X, Y, Z Peter Zander,

Jane Fenn, Marjorie Gordon, Nigel Hawthorne, Michael Turner,Joyce Bradley, Fiona Fraser, Eveline Garratt, Ted Ogden, Elspeth Bryce, Robert Cheetham, Enone van den Bergh, Johan Malherbe, Pieter Bredenkamp, Joey de Koker, Gerrit Wessels, Arthur Hall, David Herbert, Pietro Nolte, Ivor van Rensburg, Bella Mariani, Ralph Bennitt, Michael Fisher, Tanya Barron, Ivor Kruger, Jocelyn de Bruyn, Kita Redelinghuys, Harold Lake, David Herbert, Ivor van Rensburg, Siegfried Mynhardt, Frank Wise, Walter Glennie, Ivor Kruger, Michael Preston, Tone Brulin, Noël Borain, Pietro Nolte, Helene de Jong, John Boulter, Innes Hirson, Jimmy Mentis, Alfred Stretton, Tine Balder, Don Howie, Felicity Bosman, Eveline Garratt, Alec Bell, Icky Kurgan, Peter Goxall, Jill Gould, Chris Fourie, Victor Melleney, Ken Law, Sheelagh Ross, Evelyn Frank, Anthony James, Brian Proudfoot, Michael Coulson, Ken Law, Lansbury Botha, Richard Daneel, Wilma Stockenström, Pieter Geldenhuys, Wilma Stockenström, Laurika Meerkotter, Joan Brink, Dale Swanepoel, Pieter Bredenkamp, Chris Fourie, Joey de Koker, Tossie Lochner, Piet Bezuidenhout, Emsie Botha, Milla Louw, Michéal Mac Liammoír, Johan Malherbe, Jan Bruyns, Lynette Kotzé, Babs Laker, Leonora Nel, Jan van Zyl, Cobus Rossouw, Matthys du Toit, Robert Mohr, Esther van Ryswyk, Elma Marais, Elsa Fouché, Schalk Jacobsz, Salie Vermaak, Pietro Nolte, Joey de Koker, Babs Laker, Ria Olivier, Laurie van der Merwe, Jennie Gratus, Michael Drin, Johann Nell, Tony Isted, Jennie Gratus, Pietro Nolte, Patricia Baker, Joan Lovelace, John Boulter, Jimmy Mentis, Norman Kelly-Herde, John Bier, Bryan Vanden, Anthony James, Anta Fraser, Frank Wise, Stanley Walsh, Vicki Vosloo, Johan Malherbe, Sann de Lange, Esther Mentz, Elna Fouché, Philip Grobler, Salie Vermaak, Gerry Albertse, Schalk Jacobsz, John Botha, Heather Lloyd-Jones, Brian Haines, Roscoe Behrmann; Virginia Lee; Joe Stewardson; Viviene Adley; Jimmy Asser; Patrick Mynhardt; Hugo Warren; Bella Mariani; Elizabeth Evans; Tiny Walker; Jo-Ann Pezarro; Gabriel Bayman; Sheila Forbes; Diana Shahn; Patsi Kahn; Ronald Bloch; Alan Cean; George Jackson; Hugh Claven; Ivo Pellegrini; Casper Dyason, Arthur Hall, Joe Stewardson , Danie Marais, Michael Coulson, James Christie,Joan Lovelace, Leonora Nel, Irene Durr, Limpie Basson, Fiona Fraser, Patrick Mynhardt, Anthony James, Lee Harris, Arne Gordon, Ronald Shellton, and others.

Designers and technical staff

Piet Bezuidenhout (stage manager), Nina Campbell-Quine (décor and costumes), Ann Case (costumes), Richard Daneel choreographer), Kobus Esterhuysen (décor), Athol Fugard (stage manager), Doreen Graves (costumes), Frank Graves (décor), Michal Grobbelaar (production manager), Harry Ligoff (lighting), Geoffrey Long (décor), Ronnie Philip (decor and costumes), Cecil Pym (décor), Jan van der Pauw (décor), Bill Walker (musical director), .

Funding

The funding also changed as they got under way, the initial loan being waived and becoming a straight grant of £10 000 in 1948 and £15 000 in 1949. By 1957 £10 000 had been added for the development of regional branches. Despite repeated entreaties due to rising costs, the grant of £25 000 remained at that level till the end, with occasional extra allowances of £5 000 for specific purposes.

Offices, theatres and facilities

Starting with offices in Krugersdorp, then temporary offices in Pretoria, before NTO finally purchased the old Marais homestead in Sunnyside, Pretoria, with the intention of ultimately converting it to a national theatre. They moved on in May 1957, and it was officially opened as the head office for NTO on 8 February by Mrs Susan Strydom, wife of the Prime Minister, J.G. Strydom[1].

The conversion to a theatre never happened and PACT eventually sold the building to a consortium to build the Marais Centre, a shopping mall.

In 1955 NTO also purchased the Harmony Hall in President street with a grant from the city council. The hall was converted to an experimental venue, the NTO Kamertoneel, in 1958-9, and in 1959 (after extensive modifications), became the National Theatre Pretoria, renamed the Breytenbach Theatre in 1967. At the same time the house next door was bought by Breytenbach and donated to NTO, for use as its offices, wardrobe, and as a training school (the latter another project that never materialised).

Specific production initiatives

Within this vast programme undertaken by the organization a few specific initiatives stand out over the years.

The bilingual company

In 1949 and 1950 an experiment was made with a bilingual (English/Afrikaans) company, performing a repertory of four plays consecutively. This was not popular and by 1951 the companies had parted company once more, with Afrikaans and English companies touring separately. This would last till the end of the existence of the organisation. Extended tours lasted up to one year at a time, with at times up to five companies on the road. The tours often took on dangerous or sometimes farcical dimensions, hampered by long distances, bad roads in the rural areas, lack of suitable venues, etc. However the NTO visits in remote areas were greatly appreciated.

International engagements

NTO did much to foster international exchange, with Hassan going to Britain in 195*, and a number of companies performing locally under their banner. These include the Flemish national theatre company (1950, 1952), the Hogarth Puppets (1954), John Wright's Marionettes (1956-57), Nederlands Kamertoneel (1959), the Old Vic Company (19**).

Prestige productions

Differences in taste between cities and the towns led to artistic advisor Marda Vanne starting a practice of doing "prestige" productions in the cities from time to time (e.g. Macbeth and Hassan in 1950), though this proved largely uneconomical and did not occur often.

The NTO Kamertoneel

Based on an idea of Kamertoneel (lit. "room theatre", i.e. "chamber theatre")which was brought to the country by visiting director Tone Brulin, the NTO plan was for an experimental company, consisting of a company of young actors, working in a venue housed in the converted Harmony Hall, at 145 President Street , Sunnyside, to produce smaller, more experimental work. The conversion was done by administrative personnel of NTO, led by Michal Grobbelaar, and utilizing private donations. The process started with plans being drawn up in 1957-1958, and actual work beginning on the 14th October 1958.

The theatrical part of the experiment lasted for two years (1958-9), during which they did ** productions of new South African plays or experimental adaptations of international work.

After 1959 the venue was revamped and extended to become the National Theatre, officially opened on 28 June 1960 and intended for use by NTO's main companies. After 1962 it was used by the PACT theatre company and was renamed the Breytenbach Theatre in 1968. After having leased it from PACT for a while, it finally became the property of the Pretoria Technikon drama department in 1997. (Later known as the Tshwane University of Technology or TUT).

For the Kamertoneel productions and other information, see NTO Kamertoneel

The Van Riebeeck Festival

The year 1952 was a period of glory for NTO, with the organization taking control of many of the main celebratory festivities surrounding the Van Riebeeck Festival, including the pageant in Cape Town (directed by Anna Neethling-Pohl). Their experimental theatre project, called Kamertoneel (lit. "Room Theatre"), lasted for about two years (1958-59) in Pretoria and Cape Town, but did some of the most interesting work, including new plays by local authors such as N.P. van Wyk Louw, James Ambrose Brown and Bartho Smit, as well as controversial work by visiting director Tone Brulin.

The NTO schools programme

Another highly regarded initiative was the NTO's schools programme. This started with special matinee performances for schools, begun in 1951, and later - with grants from the various education departments - special performances of selected plays at schools throughout the province. Begun in Transvaal in 1954, this was extended to the Cape Province in 1955 and Natal in 1956. In 1958 Jannie Gildenhuys, Cobus Rossouw and Leonora Nel returned from Europe, filled with ideas about educational theatre culled from Joan Littlewood and others, and suggested the formation of a youth company to do exracts from prescribed works in schools. With a grant from the Cape Province, the NTO Youth Theatre came into being in 1959 and toured schools in Cape with a panel van, doing the same in the Transvaal in 1960. In 1961 two companies were formed, later four. (In 1963 most of these performers were absorbed into PACT.) 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)

Library readings

Initiated by in the Cape Town region by Laurie van der Merwe, the very popular library readings were offered throughout the province, and after 1957 resorted under the regional office.

The Western Cape regional office

Another kind of initiative was the founding, in 1957, of a regional office in the Bellville Civic Theatre, in the Cape. Managed by Laurie van der Merwe, it had its own regional advisory board and initiated some experimental work as well as the very popular library readings throughout the province. However, this move towards regionalisation signalled a change in fortunes for NTO, with the Cape gradually seeking to secede from the national body, a move which eventually hastened the end of NTO and the founding of the Performing Arts Councils in 1963.

The end of NTO

Gradually in the late 1950s and early 1960s troubles had begun to brew, and by 1961 the long-developing split between north and south had come to a head. This coupled with increasing financial difficulties, rebellion by artists against what they perceived as a bureaucratic control of their lives and art, national catastrophes (e.g. the Sharpeville massacre), etc, all had begun to make the board's position untenable. From 1957 onwards they sought some form of state intervention to clarify matters.

In 1961 the De Bruyn Commission of Inquiry was finally instituted, and studied the situation while all new activities were suspended. The report (never published) came as a bombshell, for it recommended the disbanding of NTO and the founding of four provincial Performing Arts Councils. With no other option, NTO wound up its business and disbanded in June 1962.

In 1963 the new system came into being, with the founding of Performing Arts Councils, Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal, Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State, Natal Performing Arts Council and Cape Performing Arts Board. Most of the facilities of NTO and the remaining staff, were transferred to PACT, with P.P.B. Breytenbach as the first director.

(See further Performing Arts Councils, Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal, Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State, Natal Performing Arts Council and Cape Performing Arts Board. Also South African Committee of Performing Arts Councils (SACPAC). )

Productions

All in all NTO mounted 103 productions (including children's plays, educational plays, imported and/or sponsored productions, experimental works, as well as repeat productions, etc.) in the period from 1948 to 1962.

Overview

The NTO run of plays began with Altyd My Liefste (Lessing, directed by Truida Pohl) and Dear Brutus (Barrie, directed by Leontine Sagan), rehearsed and launched by the English and Afrikaans companies at the Little Theatre, Cape Town on 2 and 12 February 1948, and ended with Eugene O'Neill's A Touch of the Poet as their final full production in 1961, and with three short plays in 1962, done by the Theatre for Youth company, as their swansong.

Of these events, 25 were of indigenous (Afrikaans or English) plays, a number specifically written for NTO by authors such as Gerhard Beukes, Guy Butler, W.A. de Klerk, D.J. Opperman, N.P. van Wyk Louw, James Ambrose Brown, Bartho Smit, Anthony Delius, Dolf van Niekerk and Harold Laite. The list also includes numerous translations of foreign language (and English) plays, a number of them by local author-translators such as A.J.B. de Klerk, W.J. du P. Erlank , J.F.W. Grosskopf, Uys Krige, N.P. van Wyk Louw, W.E.G. Louw, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Bartho Smit, A.F.H. van Dijk, Fred le Roux, .

Full list of plays produced by NTO

Below a list of the plays produced by NTO in their 15 years of existence, based on a list originally compiled by Rinie Stead (1985b). Most of the plays mentioned went on extended tours of South Africa.

Click on the title of the play in question to go to the entry and read more details about the text and production(s).

1948: Altyd My Liefste (Lessing); Dear Brutus (Barrie), Nag het die Wind Gebring (W.A. de Klerk) and An Inspector Calls (Priestley).

1949: Minnaar onder die Wapen (Shaw), Die Indringer (Brandon) The Glass Menagerie (Williams), The Guardsman (Molnar)

1950: Oupa Brompie (Percival and Hodges), Macbeth (Shakespeare, in Afrikaans, in association with African Theatres), Candida (Shaw), Hassan (Flecker), Vlaamse Nasionale Toneel (visiting company)

1951: Die Vrek (Molière), The Cocktail Party (Eliot)

1952: The Dam (Butler), Die Jaar van die Vuuros (De Klerk), As ons twee eers getroud is! (Beukes), Volpone (Jonson), The Ball at the Castle (Bright), Vlaamse Nasionale Toneel (visiting company)

1953: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare), Die Ipekonders (Molière), Die Ryk Weduwee (Uys Krige), Nina, Verlief in Parys (Lengyel), Antigone (Anouilh), The Anniversary (Chekhov), Vlaamse Nasionale Toneel (visiting company).

1954: Ek Onthou vir Mamma (Van Druten), The Firstborn (Fry), You Never Can Tell (Shaw), She Stoops to Conquer (Goldsmith), So Praat die Ou Rivier (Eitemal), The Hogarth Puppets (visiting company)

1955: Gelukkige Dae (Dighton), The Winslow Boy (Rattigan), Verkiesing Sonder Politiek! (Gerhard Beukes), Die Wit Perde van Rosmersholm (Ibsen), The Dove Returns (Guy Butler), Die Twisappel (W.A. de Klerk), Tobias and the Angel (Bridie), Koning Oidipus (Sophocles).