Tot Oefening en Vermaak

Tot Oefening en Vermaak ("For Practice and Entertainment") was the name of an amateur dramatic society sporadically active in Cape Town, initially apparently in the period 1837-1839, then again between 1848 and 1851.

History

The phrase first appears in 1837 as the motto of a Hollandsche Private Tooneellievende Gezelschap ("Dutch private amateur company") , of which only one performance is certain (see below). It apparently lasted no longer than the year.

In 1849 the phrase was once more adopted as the motto for the company Hoop en Trouw ("Hope and Loyalty"), which had been founded in Cape Town in 1848 by what appears to have been some former members of Tot Nut en Vermaak en Door Yver Vruchtbaar, and would be continue to be active under the title Tot Oefening en Vermaak between 1849 and 1851. The name change virtually coincided with the birth of yet another company, Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst, which was probably also founded by a dissident faction from within Hoop en Trouw - hence the need for another name.

The company for a while announced itself as Hoop en Trouw, spelende as Tot Oefening en Vermaak (i.e."Hope and Loyalty playing as For Practice and Entertainment") , though later referred to simply as Tot Oefening en Vermaak.

The company performed in the Hoopstraat-Skouburg and apparently disbanded in 1851.

Productions as Hoop en Trouw

Only one production under this name is on record, before the name changed.

1837 A company performing under the motto Hoop en Trouw in the De Liefhebbery Tooneel ("The amateur theatre") on in 12 August did Roland de Monglave, of De Zegepraal der Onschuld (Tréogate) and Monsieur Tonson (Moncrieffe), with an "Indian dance" and a dance on the slack rope served as interlude.