Standard Theatre

The Standard Theatre was a Johannesburg theatre located in Joubert Street (behind the Rissik Street Post Office) between President and Market Street.

Often referred to as The Standard.

History

A prestigious Victorian horseshoe-shaped theatre, it was opened on 12 October 1891 by Capt. Von Brandis as the Standard Opera House. The architects were J. S. Donaldson and J. A. Moffat. The first solid, purpose-built and lushly decorated theatre in the city, it seated 800 people, but could house up to 1000 with extra seating - though, according to P.J. du Toit (1988) it could house 1400.

The Standard was leased by Ben Wheeler in 1892 who opened with a musical comedy and later put on six Shakespearean productions and twenty other plays. The owners were Emmanuel Mendelssohn and R.S. Scott who also owned the newspaper ‘Standard and Diggers’ news’. Wheeler also brought the famous D’Oyly Carte Opera Company to SA. Both the Zionist Dramatic Society and Jewish Musical Society put on biblical plays and serious dramas at The Standard.

The favoured venue of touring theatre and opera companies from England, it was later taken over by Leonard Rayne and used for his productions (many featuring and his popular leading lady, Freda Godfrey), till Rayne's untimely death in 1925. During the second world war it became a favoured venue for the Gwen ffrangçon-Davies and Marda Vanne company’s seasons of major plays and was also the home of the Johannesburg REPS.

The Standard was forced to close its doors in September, 1947, by the council. It was was demolished in 1956, despite major protests from the theatrical fraternity.

Productions

1891: At the opening, Dan Godfrey then led the orchestra through De Volkslied, after which the curtain went up on La Cigale, the opening play produced by Arturo Bomamici.

1896: Mark Twain performed his At Home there in May 1896.

1925: W.J. Pienaar's Saul (an Afrikaans play, produced there in 1925).

1943: Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies and Marda Vanne presented Watch on the Rhine by Lilian Hellman, starring Gwen ffrangçon-Davies and Derick Redman.

1946: This was a prolific year, with Elizabeth Renfield and company performing Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill and an adaptation of Wuthering Heights with Johann Nell playing Heathcliff opposite Miss Renfield’s Cathy; Wensley Pithey and company staged Laburnum Grove, starring Siegfried Mynhardt; the Theatre Guild Company staged The Lady of the Rose; the Munro-Inglis Company produced Shaw’s Pygmalion and in December Taubie Kushlick directed and played in George Washington Slept Here, starring Wensley Pithey and Gordon Mulholland.

1947: Marjorie Gordon and company, in association with ACT, presented Coward's Design for Living; Siegfried Mynhardt directed Laura for the Johannesburg REPS; the Munro-Inglis Company staged their last Standard Theatre production, Somerset Maugham's Lady Frederick starring Siegfried Mynhardt and Golden Boy, by Clifford Odets turned out to be the last production to be performed at The Standard. Henry Gilbert cast Eric Boon and Gay Gibson in this 1947 production.

Sources

Percy Tucker, 1997 (See Binge, 1969?, Du Toit, 1988; Tucker, 1997) [TH, JH]

https://johannesburg1912.com/2013/07/29/theatres-in-early-johannesburg/

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