Bree Street Theatre

The Bree Street Theatre was a venue on the corner of Bree- and Dorp-Streets in Cape Town . It was also referred to as the Hollandsche Schouwburg (Hollandse Skouburg, i.e. "Dutch theatre").

It possibly existed as early as 1848, since Jill Fletcher (1994, p. 79), mentions that the Mauritian circus of Dalla Case first appeared there in 1848. However, elsewhere she says this occurred in the Hope Street Theatre.

More certain is that it was possibly started in 1852 and occupied by the Dutch company Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst for a while. It seems to have been a well-equipped for a theatre, but a somewhat inadequate and uncomfortable hall (apparently very narrow), and this led its early demise. Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst used it in the company's most productive years, 1853-4, but discontinued their use of it towards the end of the latter year. After briefly being used by the City Amateur Theatrical Society for a few performances in the 1854, the venue was finally abandoned as a theatre space.

[TH, JH]

Sources

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

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: pp. 426-7, 456-464, 487

De Zuid Afrikaan, 12 Sept. 1853.

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