National Theatre

A National Theatre and State Theatre as concepts

The notion of a "national" or "state" theatre is an old one, and can have many meanings, from the notion of a specific building to a broad concept of state funded theatre. However the central idea has always been to obtain state funding and support for the professional theatre in a country, and that such a theatre would be an expression of the artistic and cultural soul and achievements of that country, state and/or nation.

The concept of a National Theatre or State Theatre in South Africa

The notion of a "national" or "state" theatre for South Africa also comes quite a way. Some of the ideas exwere visionary and grandiose (including theatre schools, orchestras, drama, ballet, opera and other companies, theatres in every town, and the like). However the central idea has always been to obtain state funding and support for the professional theatre. The interpretation of the notions nation and state though, have been singular in South Africa, over the 20th century.

Petitions for a National Theatre

Numerous individuals, Organisations and intsitutions have over the years agitated for a form of state intervention. In the first concerted thrust (between 1936 and 1947) for example the names of most prominent (white) theatre personalities and academics can be found in the minutes of meetings and on petitions. These include P.P.B. Breytenbach, Hermien Dommisse, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Muriel Alexander, Myles Bourke, Hendrik Hanekom, André Huguenet, Leontine Sagan, Marda Vanne, Gwen ffrançon-Davies, Margaret Inglis, Nan Munro, John Connell, Hélène Botha, W. du P. Erlank ("Eitemal"), W.E.G. Louw, F.C.L. Bosman, S.P.E. Boshoff, Donald Inskip, Rayne Kruger, L.W. Hiemstra, T.H. le Roux, Among the organisations that involved themselves in this were FATSSA, the Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Associations (FAK).

Petitions for a National African Theatre

A lone voice with another message and interpretation at this time was the playwright and cultural leader H.I.E Dhlomo, who wrote a series of articles expounding his notion of a national African theatre in **. (These ideas were only picked up again much later in the 1980's, and informed mushc of the debate surrounding the notion of black theatre and theatre in the "new South Africa".)

The first National Theatre in the British commonwealth

These initial movements culminated in Commission of Inquiry into Adult Education (led by G. von W. Eybers), the report of which led to the founding of a National Council for Adult Education, which had a theatre committee, which drew up a proposal for a national theatre organisation. The result was the National Theatre Organisation (NTO), founded on 7 April 1947, with P.P.B. Breytenbach as chairman (later full-time director), focussing on Afrikaans and English drama. See further NTO

The Performing Arts Councils of South Africa

In 1961 it was replaced by four provincially based Performing Arts Councils/Boards (PAC's), namely PACT, CAPAB, PACOFS and NAPAC, (later also SWAPAC) catering for drama, music, opera and ballet. *** By 1990 the disillusionment was so great that a strong movement - spearheaded by a number of national bodies - such as PAWE and ACTAG - and inspired by individuals such as Mike van Graan and *** was launched to have the PAC's replaced by a nationally based funding Organisation, and this finally came in April 1997 with the National Arts Council.

Alternative theatres, and The Market Theatre as a "national theatre"

In the mid 1980's a counter movement had developed, as the independent alternative theatres (the Space and the Market Theatre for example) became seen as the true representatives of South African culture. The Market in fact became known internationally as the unofficial "national theatre" of the country.

Renewed ideas of a State Theatre

At the start of the new millenium, however dissilusion with the ability of the NAC to sustain a true "state theatre" began to grow again and calls were once more heard for a more direct involvement of the state in founding a national (or a few national) companies, to employ performers and build a theatre tradition. Once again Mike van Graan emerged as a prominent figure, in his position as the chairman of PANSA. (See the individual personalities, Organisations and institutions highlighted above.) (See Binge, 1969; Hauptfleisch 1984, )