Oude Libertas Theatre

The Oude Libertas Theatre is an open-air theatre in Stellenbosch

Not to be confused with the Klein Libertas Teater also in Stellenbosch.

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Also referred to as the Oude Libertas Amfiteater (in Afrikaans), the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre (in English), or simply the Oude Libertas in both languages.

The history

A well equipped 430 seat venue, it was built against the side of Papegaaiberg [“Parrot Mountain”] in Stellenbosch by Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery in 1977. Designed with the help of the then technical director of the National Theatre of Greece, it was built of cement, but in classical style, as a half-moon amphitheatre built into the hill and surrounded by pine trees and vinyards.

The complex also has a restaurant and a conference venue, and for a long while hosted a fine weekend farmers market.

It opened in December 1977 with a concert by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Management

Marietha Channell was appointed manager of the theatre in 1984 and ran an annual summer season (November to March) till her retirement in 2006. The technical work was under the management of the Stellenbosch Drama Department's technical manager, Emile Aucamp, often using students from the department.

In 2001 Stellenbosch Farmers Wineries and the Distiller's Corporation amalgamated to form Distell, which went on to fund the theatre, with Marietha Channell still as manager.

In 2007 the theatre was let to ** and was run by Karen Meiring

In 2009 it again changed hands, with ** becoming the director.

Productions

Besides regular musical productions during the annuals summer season, the theatre was also a venue for many stage plays, mime and dance programmes and operatic works.

Among them:

Operas

1994: Die Zauberflöte, 1998: (with CAPAB Opera), Don Pasquale

1999: Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Stage plays

Maria de Buenos Aires (2003), Twaalfde Nag (2005).

Sources

Wayne Muller. 2018. A reception history of opera in Cape Town: Tracing the development of a distinctly South African operatic aesthetic (1985–2015). Unpublished PhD thesis.

For more information

See Open-air theatre

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