Disney Roebuck

(1819-1885) British actor-manager who had a great influence on theatre in South Africa.

Biography

Born Francis Algernon Disney, he originally followed a military career, becoming a Captain in the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers. During these years he was active in garrison theatre. He initially performed and toured in England as an amateur, but eventually became a professional actor-manager. After an initial tour to South Africa with a company in 1873, he would regularly take companies on tour to Australia and South Africa, often with Shakespearean works.

He arrived in Cape Town with his theatre company in 1873 and toured with a production called David Garrick (1873). In 1875 the company travelled inland, one tour to Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown and King William's Town, the other to Kimberley. He also performed in Durban *(e.g. Hamlet in 1876)

He leased and ran the Theatre Royal in Cape Town between 1876 and 1883/4, but it burnt down in 1884. He returned to London while it was being rebuilt and returned to re-occupy it in 1885, but unfortunately died in Sea Point, Cape Town in 22nd March 1885.

Productions

Among his other major productions in South Africa were The Octoroon (1876), Hamlet (1876), Othello (1877)Pygmalion, Gilbert's Galilea, Our Boys**, ** . **