Church and Theatre in South Africa

Theatre by its very nature has its very roots in religious practice, and as many have shown, the Christian Church as well as other religious orders, have always had a close - though not always amicable - relationship with theatre and performance. Besides the fact that a church service is in fact a theatrical event in and of itself, the church has on occasion over the ages made use of the stage to promote its message.

For more on this, see:

The same is true of South Africa, since the Christian church has played a major role in education, cultural activities and even politics over the years. In this entry we consider some prominent moments in history when church and theatre publically supported or opposed each other.

The Anti-theatrical Campaign, Cape Town 1824-1838

During the 1820s there were already protests in the press against improprieties in theatre, the first apparently appearing in May 1824, protesting about the uncouth expressions and dialogue in a performance of Schiller's Kabaal en Liefde, followed by an English letter from "A True Friend" in the Cape Chronicle of 27 October, warning about the "very thoughtless unguarded and tremendous imprecations" of one of the actors. (F.C.L. Bosman, 1928: p. 343). In 1826 the first real attack on theatre came in the form of a substantial letter by one "Serieus", which appeared in a well respected journal and commented on the bad influence of the dances and plays being put on by Dutch companies, especially the work of children's companies, and notably that of J. Suasso de Lima, who responded with a pamphlet Iets over het Dansen en Toneelspelen on 1 May 1826, pointing out the long history of drama and theatre and its positive influence.

Thus a series of disputes were set off, and over the next few years various attacks on public indecency, bad education, alcohol abuse and the like became the subject of debate and letters to the press. Other issues raised by the writers and protesters were the abuse of alcohol at performances, inspired by the international Temperance Movement.

From 1832 onwards, fanned by what F.C.L. Bosman refers to as the Methodist movement and the founding of The Cape of Good Hope Temperance Society[1] on 28 January, 1832. The latter was a key event which led Charles Etienne Boniface to write his hilarious satire De Nieuwe Ridderorde of De Temperantisten (lit. "The New Knighthood/New Chivalric Order, or the 'Temperantists'/People of the Temperance Movement"), in 1832.

By 1836 the religious attacks had developed into a wave of puritanism which actually closed The African Theatre in 1838 and the irony of its sale in March 1839 and its conversion into a church for freed slaves, to the disgust of the citizenry, who stoned the building. (Hence the current name: St Stephen's Church, a name first noted from 1847 onwards and is still in use today.)

By contrast the Garrison Theatre probably remained open, though inactive, and began advertising productions again two years later.

[JF/TH]