New Space Theatre
Where? Downtown
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New Space Theatre
44 Long Street

Brief history of the Space Theatre

The original Space was founded in Bloem Street, May 1972 by theatre photographer Brian Astbury and his actress wife Yvonne Bryceland and relocated in 1976 to the YMCA building 44 Long St. The SPACE established itself as a defiantly non-racial venue in a racially-divided country. The first pioneering fringe theatre in the country (pre Market and Baxter Theatres), it mounted almost 300 productions starting with the premier of Athol Fugard’s Statements After an Arrest under the Immorality Act. It hosted the first productions of the Kani/Ntshona/Fugard collaborations The Island and Sizwe Bansi is Dead, and gave a voice to Donald Howarth’s Othello Slegs Blankes, Fatima Dike and Pieter Dirk Uys’ early plays, and many others.

It became the home of Yvonne Bryceland, Athol Fugard, Pieter Dirk Uys, David Kramer, Barney Simon, Winston Ntshona, John Kani, Bill Flynn, Richard E Grant, Paul Slabolepsy, Marius Weyers, Marthinus Basson, Fiona Ramsay, Percy Sieff, Fatima Dike, Ian Roberts, Henry Goodman, Trix Pienaar, Grethe Fox, Bill Curry, Neil Mc Carthy, Denise Newman, Christine Basson, Mavis Taylor, Maralin van Reenen, Thoko Ntshinga, Dawie Malan, Kieth Grenville, Jacqui Singer, Roger Dwyer and a host of many more young actors, directors and writers who would become stars and stalwarts of the South African stage.

Now 36 years later, with the encouragement of its founding members and in line with City Council’s Inner City Development programme, it is about to re open its doors to theatre goers as a welcome addition to the Cape Town Theatre Scene and already buzzing night life that is rejuvenating the city centre especially the Long Street area.

AIMS and OBJECTIVES OF THE SPACE THEATRE

Committed to and will not compromise on any of the following:

  • Determined to keep theatre alive in Cape Town
  • Create work opportunities for Cape Town artists and showcase the talent of some of the industry’s premier creative artists
  • Commit to providing the highest level of authentic artistic excellence and innovation in all aspects of the performing arts
  • Strive to present cutting-edge and major works and masterpieces from a vast repertoire that includes new writing, contemporary reappraisals of classics, world drama and small scale musical theatre
  • Continue to produce work that challenges and stimulates its audiences
  • Remain conscious of our history and current social context
  • Value and protect our artistic independence and right of free expression and never be dictated to by any censor body or impose self-censorship in any form whatsoever
  • Create a reputation associated with artistic excellence
  • Build an unparalleled catalogue of work
  • Mount at least ten productions a year at its home in Long Street and present work nationally and internationally
  • Cast its productions with the ‘best person for the job’, irrespective of gender, race or sexual orientation
  • Be pro-active and aggressive in achieving any of the above

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Past Gigs