St Stephen’s Church

A Dutch Reformed church since 1835*?. Was originally the African Theatre, built in 1800, then taken over by the church for its missionary work in Cape Town.

St. Stephen’s Church, Cape Town, Cape Province is the only Dutch Reformed church named after a saint; and its congregation is the only Coloured congregation that forms part of the NG Kerk (the mother church), with full admission to its synod, while all other Coloured parishes of the N.G. Kerk belong to the daughter or mission church.

The rectangular edifice was erected during the First British Occupation as the African Theatre and is the oldest theatre building in South Africa, having been erected for that purpose by the Governor, Sir George Yonge, on what is now Riebeek Square, where it was opened on 17th November 1800. Thus it is the only church building that was formerly a theatre. Under the Batavian regime the theatre was called the Afrikaansche Schouwburg , but to the populace it was simply known as the Komediehuis. The basement was and still is used for workshops, storage and similar purposes. The building, repeatedly menaced with demolition, was proclaimed a historical monument in 1965.

Utilized as a performance space on occasion again between 2002 and 2010, to raise funds for the exstensive restoration of the historical building in this period.

See further The African Theatre.

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