Madame Pearmain

Madame Pearmain (fl.1880s) was a South African theatrical manager.

According to Boonzaier (1923) she "was always styled" "Madam" or "Madam Pearmain" in Cape Town.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

According to Boonzaier (1923), her company was referred to as Madame Pearmain's Company, while Myles Holloway (1997), writing about theatre in Johannesburg, mentions a company known as Madame Pearmain's Diplomacy Company.

In 1886 Madame Pearmain brought a number of newly recruited performers from England to form a company made up of both British and local performers, including as Emily Levettez, Adolphus Ellis and W.H. Thorne.

On her arrival they opened a short season at the Theatre Royal, Cape Town, on 22 November, putting on a season ov eleven plays consisting of The Jilt (Boucicault), The Money Spinner (Pinero), Jim the Penman (Young), Diplomacy (Sardou), The Magistrate (Pinero), Turned Up (Melford), Blackberries (Melford), The Ironmaster (Ohnet) , School (Robertson) , The Queen's Shilling (Godfrey), Dandy Dick (Pinero) and Nita's First (Warren).

Sources

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.

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