Door Yver Vruchtbaar

During the first half of the 19th century we find three (possibly linked) companies using this motto in the Cape region.

Door Yver Vruchtbaar: Cape Town 1826-1827

This Dutch amateur company was founded by J.G. Tredoux, after breaking away from Tot Nut en Vermaak with some of its members. It only lasted for two years in this guise, the company performing in the African Theatre.

Their first performance was on September 9 1826, with Het Schandmerk, of De Twee Galeiboeven (Boire, Camouche & Poujol, translated by De Quack), Getrouw tot in den Dood (Westerman) and some dances. They followed this with productions of De Broeders (Von Kotzebue), Het Glas Water (Von Guttenberg) on 28 October, and a final final performance on 31 March 1827 of De Verzamelaar, of De Onverwachte Ontmoeting (Anon) and Pachter Veldkomyn van Tippelskerken, of Het door List verbroken Huwelyk (Von Kotzebue).

Hereafter no further mention is found of this particular Cape Town company.

Door Yver Vruchtbaar: Stellenbosch 1833 - 1838

An organisation using the same motto surfaced in Stellenbosch, 1833 - 1838, possibly initiated by someone from the former company, but this is merely a speculation. The group staged what F.C.L. Bosman (1928) calls "the first theatrical performance" in the town on 25 April, 1829. The play performed was De Verstrooying (Von Kotzebue).

In 1833 the group, now pertinently referred to as "Het Nieuw Stellenbossche Tooneel Gezelschap" ("The new Stelllenbosch Theatre Company") under the motto Door Yver Vruchtbaar, went on to stage similar productions and played an integral part in Stellenbosch's theatrical heyday under the patronage of D.J. van Ryneveld. They were later also referred to bilingually as Stellenbossche Liefhebbery Tooneel - Stellenbosch Amateur Theatre and at times as Het Hollandsche Tooneellievend en Vereenigd Muzyk Gezelschap.

Other productions included Charlotte Blandford, of De Wedergevonden Vader (Engelman) and De Dochter van Pharao (Von Kotzebue) in the "Schouwburg" (theatre) on 28 September 1833; Elize van Wallenthorst (Anonymous) and De Brandschatting (Von Kotzebue) in 1835; Dertig Jaren, of Het Leven van een Dobbelaar (Ducange and Dinaux) and De Uniformrok van den Veldmaarschalk Wellington in 1837; .

For a while the company combined with the music society to form the Het Tooneellievend en Vereenigd Muzyk Gezelschap, to mount joint productions, inter alia in support of the wounded of the so-called "Kaffir War" on the eastern Cape border.

By 1838 this group had apparently been forced to close by the same puritanical crusade which led to the demise of the African Theatre in 1835.

Door Yver Vruchtbaar: Cape Town 1843-1844

In 1843 a group under this name is once again advertised in Sam Sly's Journal, Cape Town, where they performed Blanko of De Onzichtbare Man (as their third offering of the year, apparently). The next month they did De Wonder Doctor.

In 1844 the group apparently amalgamated with Tot Nut en Vermaak, to form Het Privaat Hollandsch Toneelievend Gezelschap, a company which remained the only Dutch company in the Cape until 1847, performing under both mottos (i.e. Tot Nut en Vermaak and Door Yver Vruchtbaar). [MN, JH]