Artscape Theatre Centre
| Artscape Theatre Centre | |
|---|---|
  Location in central Cape Town | |
| Former names | Nico Malan Theatre Centre |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Coordinates | 33°55′12″S 18°25′50″E / 33.9200°S 18.4305°ECoordinates: 33°55′12″S 18°25′50″E / 33.9200°S 18.4305°E |
| Completed | 1971 |
Artscape Theatre Centre (formerly Nico Malan Theatre Center) is the main performing arts centre in Cape Town, South Africa. It was opened in 1971[1] and is located on reclaimed land in the Foreshore area. The inaugural performance was scheduled to be Verdi's Aida but illnes struck the title-role singer Emma Renzi and the production was replaced by CAPAB Ballet's Sylvia. Other productions in the opening season were Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in Afrikaans and Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The complex includes:
- Opera House, seating 1,487 with provision for two wheelchairs.
- Theatre, seating 540 but more or less depending upon whether the pit is used.
- Arena Theatre, seating 140.
The Artscape Theatre Centre was originally commissioned by the Provincial Administration of the Cape Province and run by CAPAB (Cape Performing Arts Board). It was formerly known as the Nico Malan theatre complex, after the former National Party administrator of the Cape Province, Dr Johannes Nicholas Malan, who initiated the project. The centre was privatized and renamed in March 2001, when the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) was dissolved.
The Artscape Theatre Centre is also the home of Fine Music Radio and oversees the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre in Wynberg, Cape Town. It also houses the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Town Opera
See also
References
- ↑ "All theworldis astage; 'Greasepaint, terror, hot glue and stale perfume' ... Astrid Stark takes a trip down memory lane with South African actor Pieter Dirk Uys and discovers the then and now of some of Cape Towns' most famous theatre venues". The Sunday Independent. August 3, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2014 – via HighBeam Research. (subscription required (help)).