I recently saw one of the great theatres in Amsterdam the Netherlands, The Royal Theatre Carré, is hosting a number of top South African artists. It starts with an event called South Africa: In Concert, on 25 September, featuring Amanda Strydom, Tina Schouw and Freshlyground, and then this grand old theatre will also be hosting the Soweto Gospel Choir on 09 November. It’s so lekker to SA artists going forth and spreading the word!

The Royal Theatre Carré seats an audience of 2000 people and when I was there a few years back to see a Dutch version of Les Misérables, I really felt like I was entering a place of greatness, a place where creativity seeps from the walls. My little brother Tommy (not so little anymore, just 18 years younger than me!) has had the honour of performing more than 30 times there as a member of the cast of the Sound of Music musical in 2002, which I know for a fact is every actors dream in the Netherlands. Its real red carpet stuff, with all the sparkles and marble and class that makes you know you are stepping into a historical site!

I did a bit of reading about it, because I was interested to see how a theatre of this size has lasted some 111 years in its present position. Yes, its form has changed a number of times from being a temporary wooden structure set up for circus performances in 1866 built by Oscar Carré, to the stately building that is now there, but it has survived 2 world wars, and many periods of bankruptcy before being taken over by the state and being allowed to become a Royal theatre in 1997.

Can you imagine what life must’ve been like during World War II? The theatres website said that because there was no radio during 1942 & 1943; and as only German movies were being shown in cinema’s the theatre business boomed. But in 1944 there was rationing of electricity and the scarcity of coal, while the Nazi’s would constantly raid the venue in search of hiding Jews , and so it had to close its doors when the public stayed away out of fear.

After the war, circus was again the staple diet, and slowly but surely dance shows such as Dutch, French and Spanish ballet performed in Carré many times, but it was less successful then the dancers of Folies Bergères and the Lido from Paris. In the fifties it was the era of the musicals, with shows like Porgy & Bess, Free and Easy, and the first Dutch musical production of My Fair Lady, which was sold out for five months in 1962.

In 1963 Toon Hermans became the first One Man Show to perform at the Carré, as it had never happened that a variety show artist dared to do this. After the show he said: “The very first evening that I was on that stage, I knew that this was the biggest evening of my life.”

All very cool – but it was almost bankrupt under every single owner throughout its history until the city council took over the site in 1977, having provided the venue with historical status thereby preventing anyone from being able to knock it down and build something profitable like a hotel. It was renovated; new management installed with the right mix of marketing people to push the shows, and it is now open 365 days a year. Which is very impressive!

So what can we learn from this little summation of a pretty tough history? I suppose hats-off to every creative individual who wants to see theatre and live shows blossom, but without the proper structures and backing in place, the chances of failure are very real. Venues need to be backed by the city; supported by the elected people in higher places; because they are places of huge cultural importance, the lifeblood of every nation, without which we are just a leech-society having to survive on what other cultures feed us. We need places that nurture talent and give people the opportunity to apply their creativity, and unfortunately, in Cape Town it is lacking!

As I started my post, Carré is hosting a number of South African artists in the coming months – wonderful stuff! But I just hope to see more and more extravaganza’s of the same sort being hosted in the Mother City in the years to come; cross-over shows and exciting productions; events that promote nationhood and pride of solidarity in being South African and a part of this wonderful African continent!

I hope to see more support from the city, the province, and national government – I’d rather watch Busi Mhlongo or African Footprint or Chris Chameleon or a combination of all the above, than another street performance of Umshini Wami! And that even comes from a retired street performer such as myself.