Little Theatre, Cape Town

(Also referred to simply as "The Little". Die Kleinteater in Afrikaans). A multi-purpose venue built by the University of Cape Town on the Hiddingh Campus in Orange Street, Cape Town at the urging of Prof. W.H. Bell, with the help of Prof Bohle and messrs Roding and Hawkins (clerk of works), to house drama and opera productions. A converted chemistry laboratory, it was initially seen as an experimental training venue and had a stage as large as the auditorium, seating only 194 people. Inaugurated on 18th of August 1931 with a production of Anton Chekov’s The Seagull (directed by W.A Sewell) * The first Opera held at the Little Theatre was Cimarosa’s Secret Marriage in 1933 with Guiseppe Paganelli as producer. After a very successful run of Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart (premiered on 15 March 1933), the local press canvassed for the rebuilding of the auditorium. The University Council authorised the modifications and by May 1934 it was approaching completion. The people responsible for making these alterations possible were, Prof. W.H. Bell (General Director 1931-1934), Mr. J.E.H. Duckworth (Assistant Director and lighting specialist), Mr. Brian Mansergh/Mansbergh?* (Designer and Architect) and Prof. A.E. Snape (construction advisor). The auditorium plan was based on the so-called continental seating plan, with continuous rows with only side isles, giving spectators an uninterrupted view of the whole stage. It now seated 300. The refurbished theatre was opened with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. In order to promote theatre in Cape Town, Bell and Duckworth now made the theatre available to any dramatic society in the city free of charge, though all proceeds went to the theatre. Thus, for example, it became the ‘home’ of the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society between 1934 and 1948, during which time they did 50 productions. The theatre continued to share its professional technical staff with this company even after they left. (The Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (KAT) also used to stage one production per year there during the 1940s.) In October 1934 a program made up of three works all with music by Bell was performed in affection to the retiring director of the Little Theatre and College of Music. He was replaced as director by Prof Donald Inskip. At this stage the University Council introduced a system of seat booking utilizing Messrs. Darters Music Store as booking agents. Other changes saw the theatre hiring ushers employed by the City Hall on demand of Sir Jock **, who was opposed to using students. In 1936 presentations of scenes from plays directed by students as part of their basic training were incorporated in the theatre’s events calendar. In 1938 The Cape Town City Council made a decision to build a civic theatre to the loyal Repertory Theatre’s delight, but with the outbreak of war in 1939, the 40, 000 Pounds earmarked for the project was allocated to war charities instead and the civic theatre had to wait until the late 1940s. With André Van Gyseghem's production of Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman in 1937, the Little Theatre entered a new era of professionalism. The next milestone was Clemence Dane’s Wild Decembers, produced by Rollo Gamble, who was moving towards creating a forum for professional theatre practitioners called The Theatre Club, launching the idea with his production of Pirandello's Six characters in search of an author. The Theatre Club broke up soon after Gamble’s return to England in 1938*?. In 1938 Donald Inskip went on a visit to Europe and convinced Leontine Sagan to undertake another ‘residency’ at the Little Theatre. Here she directed Emlyn Williams's The Corn is Green, as well as Zoe Akins’ Old Maid with Ruth Peffers’ drama students. The same month as Britain entered the Second World War, a fire broke out in the Little Theatre causing minor damage to the kitchen, but luckily leaving the theatre unharmed. With the invasion of Paris in 1940 the production of Jean Giraudoux’s Amphitryon again directed again by Sagan at the Little Theatre, played to luke warm reception of the press and audiences. Noel Coward also visited the Little Theatre in the war years and gave a performance to the service men and woman, accompanied by Norman Hackforth. Hackforth stayed on in Cape Town to appear together with Donald Inskip in René Ahrenson’s production of Rebecca (194*). With the monumental production of Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie directed by Leonard Schach in 195* the playhouse was still an amateur space. Despite its success and full houses the plays run was cut short due to the cast’s other obligations. With Inskip’s return from the U.K. in 1950 Leonards Shach who was left as general director of the theatre had lead to a closer link between the Department and the Faculty of Arts. This lead to a break with the College of Music. A really tight-knit drama school and production unit was now firmly established. Towards mid 1950s actors from the Flemish National Theatre in Antwerp were on tour in what was still the Belgian Congo and their tour was to be extended to South Africa. The group was under the leadership of Fred Engelen and his wife Tine Balder. Engelen and his wife returned in 1953 with another group of Flemish actors, laying the foundation for his subsequent appointment as Professor in Drama at Stellenbosch University. In 1952 with the 300 year celebration of Jan Van Riebeecks arrival the Little Theatre put on Ivor Jones’ “The Ball at the Castle” in an open air presentation at the Castle in Cape Town. The same year the Little Theatre celebrated its twenty-first birthday and the University Council authorized the printing of a special commemorative brochure called “Coming of Age” in which due tribute was paid to the people and players who had collaborated in upwards of 300 productions since the theatre’s beginnings. For these celebrations Leonard Schach put on “Lady Windermere’s Fan”, which opened on August 23rd and was followed a month later by Rosalie’s production of Aeschylus’ “Oresteia”. In 19.. the Little Theatre’s workshops caught fire for a second time and most of the wardrobe and workshop was destroyed. The costumes for Doreen Graves’ rendition of Gogol’s, “Government Inspector” which was to be staged in a couple of days was located in the sewing room and in this way was saved from the massive destruction of the fire. The stage itself was not harmed and despite the fierce smell burning the performance of “General Inspector” went forth as scheduled. Over 21 years of costumes collected were destroyed, workshop gear and tools reduced to ashes and spaces used for teaching or as offices were annihilated. On account of the fire the opportunity to reconstruct the drama school was taken. The workshop roof was raised, making painting easier. Teaching studio’s were made more spacious and a proper broadcasting training set-up was constructed. With Fred Engelen’s production of D.F. Malherbe’s version of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”, Mavis Taylor’s costume designs were used in follow up productions in Antwerp, Belgium where foreign ties and standards with Europe were generated bringing the Little Theatre quite close to the main currents of European Theatre. Towards the end of 1964 Professor Corey of Shreveport University in Louisiana arrived in Cape Town with his traveling student company playing “The Book of Job”. At the same time Robert Mohr put on a production called “J.B.” which also dealt with Job. Inskip gave Corey a copy of Flora Stohr’s “Behind the Yellow Door” and he arranged that Robert Mohr should go to the University of Shreveport, Louisiana to produce it. This was done in 1966 with Corey’s students. In 1964 the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth was celebrated and for this occasion the British Council helped the Little Theatre to bring the famous theatrical authority Norman Marshall to direct Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. The 60s saw a kaleidoscopic picture at the Little Theatre. Mavis Taylor did “Little Malcolm and his struggle against the Eunuchs” in 1967 and Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” in 1968. Robert Mohr did “Seppuku” in 1967 and 1968. In 1965 Keith Anderson and Roy Sargeant put on a successful pantomime of ‘Aladdin” with Mavis Taylor herself appearing on stage as the Empress of China. The Seventies saw equally successful productions launched at the Little Theatre. Alec Bell in Brecht’s “Schweik in the Second World War” as Schweik was incredibly successful. Percy Sieff in Herman Charles Bosman’s one hander, “Willem Prinsloo’s Peach Brandy”. Mavis Taylor work shopped a play “O what a lovely war” with the students of the Speech and Drama Department. Perhaps the most significant new notes struck in the 1970s were by Tessa Marwick and Gay Morris who directed respectively Wedekind’s “Spring Awakening” and the stage version of “Pride of Miss Jean Brodie”. Two more productions performed in the seventies that played to critical acclaim was Ann Jellicoe’s “The Knack”, directed by Mavis Taylor staring the talents of Denis Bettesworth, Peter Krummeck, Bill Flynn and Anelise Weiiland. Secondly was Aubrey Berg’s staging of Feydeau’s immortal “Flea in her ear”. **** The Little Theatre: In Cape Town. While in the South African Navy, Leonard Schach directed Leon Gluckman and Cecil Williams in The Middle Watch at the Little Theatre in 1944. Professor Donald Inskip went from the Little Theatre to the National Theatre Organization. The Glass Menagerie by Tennesse Williams was staged here by Leonard Schach in 1948. Cast included Rosalie van der Gucht and Rosemary Kirkcaldy. Bridget Boland’s Cockpit was staged here in 1949. It was directed by Leonard Schach. Leonard Schach directed Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot here in 1955, starring Alec Bell, Gerrit Wessels and Gavin Haughton. **** (Tucker, 1997)* (See Inskip, 197*) [FdV, TH]

Return to South African Theatre Venues, Companies, Societies, etc

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page