Pieter Toerien

Pieter Toerien (1942-) [1] is an impressario, producer and theatre owner.

Being edited (November 2023)

Biography

Born in Cape Town in 1942,

Career

Toerien's career began while he was still at school, when he presented puppet shows to schools in his home city, Cape Town. From there hewent on to become one of South Africa’s most active producers of stage productions, certainly one of the most powerful and successful private theatre impressario's of the period after 1980.

His first venture after school when he, aged 17, introduced the concept of bio-vaudeville – persuading cinema managements to have live entertainment before the feature film. Under the mentorship of Britain's theatre agent Herbert de Leon and in partnership with Basil Rubin, he set about bringing British variety artists such as Alma Cogan and Dickie Valentine brought to South Africa, and eventually also adding Russ Conway (1964), Peter Nero (1966), Shelly Berman, Cyd Charisse, Tony Martin, Françoise Hardy and Maurice Chevalier (1967) to his list of luminaries.

His greatest coup came at the age of 20, when he signed Marlene Dietrich for appearances in the country. He sat on the street outside her apartment until curiosity compelled her to invite him in. He signed her to tour in 1965 and again in 1966. They remained friends until her death in 1992 aged 91.

In 1966 he tentatively shifted his focus to the dramatic stage, often bringing entire productions from the West End to South Africa, cast, sets and costumes. Funding all his own productions he famously claimed that he produced farce and comedy to subsidize less commercial theatre. At the same time he continued with the successful business formula of signing overseas box-office attractions he brought names like Hermione Gingold from New York for Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels, Joan Fontaine for Fredrick Knott’s thriller Dial M for Murder. Other names included Barbara Windsor, June Whitfield and Sir Michael Redgrave.

With rigid censorship laws in South Africa in the 70s and 80s, plays were continually under scrutiny by the law. For instance, Ronald Millar's Abelard and Heloise called for a nude scene and actress Heather Lloyd-Jones consented to the demands of the script. Audience curiosity filled houses to capacity. The censorship board were given a dim silhouette of Miss Lloyd-Jones and the play was allowed to continue. Toerien did not escape more aggressive raids when productions were closed down, but he went on to challenge the system. Thus, at a time when the word "gay" was still taboo in tyhe country, Toerien and Shirley Firth presented The Other Side of the Swamp.

Writers Ben Travis, Ray Clooney and Alan Eichbourne became audience favourites for the Toerien theatres; as did Agatha Christie. From the early 80s, British comedy actor and director Rex Garner became associated with many Toerien box office successes, such as Ray Cooney's Out of Order and It Runs in the Family, Michael Pertwee's Birds of Paradise and Robin Hawdon's Don't Dress for Dinner.

The works of such eminent British writers as Noel Coward, Tom Stoppard, Simon Gray, and Peter Shaffer have all been mounted in Toerien’s theatres.

In the 1980s Toerien brought Sir Cameron Macintosh's Tomfoolery to South Africa. This association has resulted in South Africa receiving many of the phenomenal successes of Macintosh's London musical theatre, the South Africn company often deployed in the Southern Hemisphere. Prominent productions include Les Miserables, a co-production with Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Tsogo Sun; Cats which toured Scandinavia, the Far East and Beirut; The Phantom of the Opera which toured the Far East, ending in Hong Kong. These were followed by Sleeping Beauty on Ice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar which was originally banned in South Africa as blasphemous after it opened on Broadway in 1971.

He always claimed that he did not need state subsidy, he subsidised himself. This was largely done by doing many popular potboilers (drawing room comedies and murder mysteries), and this enabled him to do more literary West End and Broadway successes, such as Equus and M. Butterfly.

In an interview in 2004 he considered Equus, Amadeus, Nunsense, Defending the Caveman, Cats to be his most successful productions up to then.

In 2006 Tim Plewman ended an eight year run of Rob Becker's Defending the Caveman for Toerien, setting a South African record at the time, having given 1500 performances of this one man show.

Involvement in the Performing Arts industry

Toerien has not limited himself to theatre management. During the period of South Africa’s transition he worked extensively with WESTAG Task Group on the Performing Arts sub-committee. In this area of civic responsibility he also gave of his expertise on the CAPAB board to assist them in their adjustment to become Artscape. He was also on the board of the National Arts Council and the Western Cape Cultural Commission, and is a patron of the STAND Foundation.

Theatres and venues

Toerien created, managed and owned a number of theatre and entertainment venues over the years,

Since the 70s he has always owned his own theatres, beginning with The Intimate Theatre (in partnership with Shirley Firth,) , followed over the years by The Barnato, the André Huguenet Theatre (Johannesburg), the Alhambra Theatre (Johannesburg), the Theatre on the Bay (Cape Town), the Montecasino Theatre (Johannesburg).

was In 1980 he saved an old theatre from demolition and opened The Alahambra in Braamfontein, Johannesburg with Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. Refurbishing the old building he added two more theatres to the complex, the Leonard Rayne Theatre, opened 18th July 1983, (renamed The Rex Garner Theatre in 1994) and The Richard Haines Theatre. In 1988 he purchased the derelict Alvin Cinema in Camps Bay, Cape Town and, with designer Jan Corewyn transformed it with a post modern façade draped with a sculptured curtain. He named it Theatre on the Bay. It opened in mid-December 1988 with a production of Nunsense. With the decentralization of Johannesburg’s CBD Toerien moved his Alhambra operation to the north of Johannesburg opening Pieter Toerien's Montecasino Theatre complex. Here he runs 2 theatres, one with 320 seats and a studio theatre with 160 seats [1]]

2007 saw the staging of The Lion King in a splendid new 1900 seater lyric theatre being especially built by Tsogo Sun at Montecasino in Johannesburg. It would be the tenth largest in the world.

Pieter Toerien's productions

Most of Toerien's productions have been done either in his own name, or that of his company Pieter Toerien Productions, though he has also participated in a number of partnerships over the years (see next section below).

Among the long list of stage productions presented under his banner there have been the following:

(The plays are listed chronologically - for more detail on each, see the entries on the various plays):

1971: Ronald Millar's Abelard and Helöise,

1972: Jack Popplewell's Darling, I'm Home!, Samuel Taylor's A Touch of Spring, Frederick Knott's Dial M for Murder,

1973: My Fat Friend, Cowardy Custard,

1974: Habeas Corpus, Not in the Book,

1975: Equus, Carry On Barbara!, Shakespeare’s People

1976: The Bed Before Yesterday, Otherwise Engaged,

1977: Dirty Linen, The Deep Blue Sea,

1978: Starting Here, Starting Now, P.S. Your Cat is Dead, Deathtrap,

1980: Middle Age Spread,

1981: Amadeus, Quartermaine's Terms

1983: Agnes of God, Side by Side by Sondheim, It Runs in the Family,

1988: Private Lives,

1989: M. Butterfly,

1992: Out of Order

2000

2001: The Other Side of the Swamp.

2002: Private Lives,

2014: War Horse,

2015-6: Singin' in the Rain, directed by Jonathan Church with Grant Almirall, Bethany Dickson and Steven van Wyk. Presented at Artscape (2015/6) and the Teatro at Montecasino (2016).

Plays presented with partners

Toerien-Rubin 1963-1970

Toerien-Rubin-Firth 1969-1970:

Sleuth

Toerien-Firth 1970-1982

A Streetcar Named Desire, Private Lives, The Other Side of the Swamp, Stage Struck, On Approval, The Passion of Dracula, California Suite

With Cameron Mackintosh

Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera

Gross list

He brought Nigel Patrick to star in Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus which was directed by Kim Grant at the Civic in 1974. David Poulson directed Not in the Book with Wilfrid Hyde-White and Avril Angers for Toerien at the Civic in 1974 He staged Peter Shaffer’s Equus which was directed by Leonard Schach starring British actors John Fraser and Dai Bradley together with Anne Courtneidge, Kim Braden, Fiona Fraser and Michael Howard at the Civic in 1975. He also presented Barbara Windsor in Carry on Barbara, Terry Scott and June Whitfield in A Bed Full of Foreigners and an ensemble of British actors, led by Sir Michael Redgrave who brought Shakespeare’s People, put together by Sir Michael Redgrave to the Civic in 1975. He brought out Leonard Whiting again in 1976 to star in the Ben Travers farce, The Bed Before Yesterday, together with Jean Kent, Marjorie Gordon, Naomi Buch, Graham Armitage and Gordon Mulholland. Hywel Bennett starred in Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged together with Sandra Duncan; West End director Frith Banbury staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy On Approval, starring Richard Todd and Moyra Fraser.

He presented Tom Stoppard’s Dirty Linen starring Richard Warwick, Charles Hawtrey, Peter Bowles, Naomi Buch and Ron Smerczak at the Civic Theatre in 1977. He staged The Deep Blue Sea, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Helen Cherry and James Faulkner at the Baxter Theatre in 1977. It was set to be the opening production at his new Johannesburg theatre, the Andre Huguenet in Hillbrow. He staged the American mini-musical Starting Here, Starting Now, directed by John Montgomery and starring Andre Hattingh, Denise Freeman and Richard Loring at the Intimate Theatre in 1978. He staged James Kirkwood’s P.S. Your Cat is Dead, directed by Dennis Breto with John Fraser and Anthony Daniels in 1978. He brought Stockton Briggle to South Africa to direct a season of three plays consisting of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap starring Peter Wyngarde and Raymond O’Neill at the Andre Huguenet; The Passion of Dracula; and Neil Simon’s California Suite, starring Naomi Buch, Annabel Linder, Anthony Fridjhon and Michael Mayer in 1978.

He sponsored a tour of Middle Age Spread with Rex Garner, Helen Jessop and Eric Flynn before it opened at the Andre Huguenet in October 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. He staged Agatha Christie’s The Spider’s Web starring Rex Garner, Shelagh Holliday, Paddy Canavan and Kenneth Baker at the Andre Huguenet in 1981. Leslie Phillips starred in Canaries Sometimes Sing for Pieter at the Andre Huguenet in 1981. He purchased the Alhambra Theatre from JODS circa 1981 where he staged Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus starring Richard Haines and Ralph Lawson and directed by Nikolas Simmonds in 1981. Michael Atkinson replaced Richard Haines in a subsequent extended season. He staged Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest starring Yvonne Banning and Eckard Rabe at the Alhambra in January 1982. He then staged John Chapman and Dave Freeman’s Key for Two starring Rex Garner, Gordon Mulholland and Moira Lister at the Alhambra in 1982 before taking it to London. He presented Noël Coward’s Oh Coward, directed by Freddie Carpenter with Richard Loring, Judy Page and Ronnie Stevens at the Andre Huguenet and the Intimate in 1982.

He presented A.R.Gurney Jr’s The Dining Room starring Gordon Mulholland, Amanda Strydom, Ralph Lawson and Patricia Sanders with direction by Bobby Heaney at the Alhambra in 1983. He presented Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero at the Andre Huguenet starring John Watts and directed by Charles Hickman in 1983. He opened a new auditorium at the Alhambra in 1983 called the Leonard Rayne Theatre. The opening production on the 18 July 1983 was Side by Side by Sondheim, a collection of Stephen Sondheim’s pieces starring Dianne Chandler, Andre Hattingh and Eric Flynn, who also directed. He staged Michael Frayn’s Noises Off starring Rex Garner, Joy Stewart Spence, Eckard Rabe, Clare Marshall, Ralph Lawson and Kenneth Baker at the Andre Huguenet in 1983. It returned later that same year for another run.

TOERIEN, Pieter, It's a Boy! Robert Kirby, [[Keith Grenville] (dir). The play was a return visit to the Baxter in 83 which played to packed houses last August during the Baxter 82 season. Then transferred to JHB by Pieter Toerien. Playing at the Academy. Agnes of God, Mass Appeal, the Real Thing, Side by Side By Sondheim, 1983. Clarence Darrow, Grahamstown Festival, 1984.

Producer of Little Shop of Horrors with Cameron Mackintosh in 1984-1985

He presented Agnes of God starring Fiona Ramsay, Pauline Bailey and Lena Ferugia and directed by Nikolas Simmonds at the Baxter in 1983 before moving it to the Alhambra. He got Kim Grant to direct his 1984 Agatha Christie, The Hollow starring Shelagh Holliday at the André Huguenet Theatre in February. He presented Ray Cooney’s Run for Your Wife starring Rex Garner and Michael Richard at the Alhambra in February 1984. He staged Francis Durbridge’s House Guest directed by Hugh Wooldridge in 1984. He presented Mastrosimone’s Extremities starring Lena Ferugia and Michael Richard with direction by Hugh Wooldridge in 1984. In 1985 he presented Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee with Bill Flynn, Michael Frayn’s Benefactors which was directed by Rex Garner, One for the Pot and The Marriage-Go-Round. Michael Richard starred in Kean at the Leonard Rayne in June 1985, and in August of the same year Pieter brought back Equus.

Isn't It Romantic 1985.

In 1986 he presented Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage and The Business of Murder. At the André Huguenet Theatre he presented Ray Cooney’s Two into One in 1986. He brought Tom and Viv, directed by Ken Leach to the Alhambra in August 1986. He presented Jerry’s Girls directed by Jimmy Bell and Richard Harris’ Stepping Out at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1986. Rex Garner starred in Canadian playwright Bernard Slade’s Tribute for Pieter in 1987. Outside Edge 1987 and 1990.

He presented Agatha Christie’s Peril at End House and the revue It’s Getting Harder at the Leonard Rayne in 1988. He presented Vladimir Gubartev’s Sarcophagus and Jerome Kilty’s Dear Love at the Andre Huguenet in 1988. He presented Terence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune, Tobie Cronje in Charley’s Aunt and Peter Shaffer’s Lettuce and Lovage (pg 468 spelling different) in 1988. His new theatre called Theatre on the Bay opened in mid December 1988 with a production of Nunsense. He presented Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile, Tom Lehrer’s Tom Foolery and Who Goes Bare at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1989. He presented David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly at the Alhambra in October 1989. He presented Malcolm Terrey and Kevin Feather’s Jo’Burg Follies at the Leonard Rayne in January 1990. Together with NAPAC he brought Ain’t Misbehavin’ to the Andre Huguenet in 1990. He presented Move Over Mrs Markham at the Alhambra in 1990. In conjunction with Plewman Productions he presented Michael Pertwee’s Sextet at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1990. He presented Richard Harris’ The Maintenance Man at the Leonard Rayne in 1990. Deon Opperman and Garth Holmes wrote Playboys for him in 1990. He presented Lend Me a Tenor in 1990. He presented Jo’burg Follies 2 at the Leonard Rayne during the festive season of 1990.

He presented Gordon Mulholland in Gordon Bleu at the Richard Haines in 1992. He presented Michael Pertwee’s Birds of Paradise at the Alhambra in 1992. He presented John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation in 1992. Mark Graham directed I Was King for him at the Richard Haines Theatre in 1992. The Woman in Black (1992-1993). He presented Hugh Whitemore’s The Best of Friends in 1993. He presented Don’t Dress for Dinner in 1993. He presented Rupert Gavin’s An Evening with Gary Lineker at the Alhambra, Edward Duke’s Jeeves Takes Charge and Kevin Feather’s The Doowah Girls, both at the Richard Haines in 1993. He presented James Sherman’s Beau Jest at the Theatre on the Bay, Civic’s Youth Theatre and the Leonard Rayne in 1993. He presented The Monkey Walk at the Richard Haines in 1994. He presented Bob Randall’s The Fan in 1994. He presented Giles Havergal’s Travels With My Aunt at the Leonard Rayne in August 1994. He brought Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Miserables to the Nico Malan in 1996.

Toerien's theatrical partnerships

Besides his role as an independent producer and impressatio, Toerien has, over the years, collaborated with many other producers and companies, including the Performing Arts Councils and has a number of business partners for shorter or longer periods of time. Among them have been:

Toerien-Rubin 1963-1970

Toerien-Rubin-Firth 1969-1970

Toerien-Firth 1970-1982

Click on the on the names of the individual partnerships above to go to the entries and details on productions.

Awards, etc.

In 1988 he received the Fleur du Cap Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the industry.

Sources

https://www.pietertoerien.co.za/

https://www.montecasino.co.za/entertainment/theatre/pieter-toerien/

Television documentary: To the Edge by Peter Bode of The Star newspaper.

'n Kwarteeu van energie by Mariana Malan in Die Burger Monday 18 November 2013, p. 8.

Tucker, 1997.

Wikipedia [2].

Theatre programmes and other material held by NELM.

Interview by Lesley Byram published in Cape Times, 1 April 2004.

https://theatrelives.co.za/people/pieter-toerien/

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