Dancers from the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT) act out a scene from Giselle. Pictured are Leila Wagener and Kevin Hurter as Giselle and Albrecht respectively during a beautifully lit scene
To dance with your feet is one thing, but to dance with your heart is an overwhelming experience and how artists who take to the stage at Unisa’s Little Theatre feel.
This was shared by some members of the Pretoria community who frequently use the Little Theatre to stage their productions.
Growing from strength to strength every year, with more and more established dancers, production houses, schools and organisations making use of the Little Theatre, it appears that the theatre is becoming a valuable and crucial component in the theatre industry in Pretoria.
The Little Theatre was designed in 1943 by Norman Eaton, an architect from Pretoria. He was well known for his contribution to architectural modernism with a very prominent African feel. Some of his well-known buildings in Pretoria are the Netherlands Bank, Polley’s Arcade and Wachthuis.
Little Theatre Manager, Jan Steyn, said during the last five years, the theatre had established itself mainly as a dance theatre. “Due to the fact that the theatre has a spring wooden floor, the size of the stage lends itself to bigger productions and the computerised intelligent lights create movement with the lights, which turn any dance show into a professional extravaganza.”
He said Unisa took over the running of the Little Theatre in 1995 and since then the theatre has had equipment upgrades to compete with any other professional theatre in South Africa.
Head of Culture at Hoerskool Eldoraigne, Sanet Bulwan, said everyone simply loved going to the Little Theatre because of the professional, competent and accommodating staff. “We really love them and are always satisfied with everything they do for us…They treat our children so well.”
She described the atmosphere at the theatre as beautiful and said they “loved going big” with their school plays, and therefore the facilities offered at the Little Theatre were perfect. “Staging productions at the Little Theater allows us to give our children a real theatre experience.”
She said Hoerskool Eldoraigne have used the theatre since 1982.
Sue Kirkland, Director of the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT), said she enjoyed using the Little Theatre for various reasons, with the biggest draw card being the great vibe.
Nigel Hannah and Karen Pieterse from the Youth Dance Company Tshwane (YDCT) portray beautifully two characters from La Boutique Fantasque, a spell binding ballet on the love story between two can-can dancer dolls in a toy shop
“Using the Little Theatre is just a great experience and we always have sold out performances. There is also generally a nice vibe, and when we go there, staff are always so nice. They make every effort to make things easy for us.”
She also praised the lighting designer Leon Rossouw and stage manager Jan Steyn for their excellent work.
She also said that the theatre has been financially viable and everyone is extremely helpful. “The facilities available are also impeccable. There are a lot of dressing rooms, there is ample space for the dancers and everything is clean, which is very important.”
Nigel Hannah, HOD of the Dance Department at Pro Arte Alphen Park said he has had many years of experience with the Little Theatre, with many different productions, both as a teacher and an artist. “It’s always a pleasure to go to the theatre and be amongst friends.”
He said pupils from the school are always elated after their productions. “We enjoy using this theatre because of its close proximity to the school and it has the facilities we need. With the new lighting board now in, the facilities are really up to scratch and meet my requirements.”
He too commended staff for being professional, pleasant and fully competent and always willing to go the extra mile.
Other clients of the theatre include Josè Montoya of the Spanish Dance Company and dancers from the Carol de Wet Dance Studio.
Steyn said there was a shortage of well maintained and equipped theatres in Pretoria; but the main reason for the Little Theatre’s popularity is because of the auditorium. “The steep angle at which the auditorium is built lends itself to a very intimate feel. And although the theatre seats about 290 people, it feels small and cosy with amazing acoustics.”
He added: “Although it is one of the busiest, most popular theatres in Pretoria, the Little Theatre also has a place under its spotlights for cash-strapped community-based organisations. We deliberately keep the hiring fees low to assist community-type groups and fund-raising organisations.”
Fast facts about the Unisa Little Theatre
- The Little Theatre is open for performances every Monday to Saturday night, all year round except from 15 December to 15 January when it closes for maintenance.
- The Little Theatre has affordable rates. These are a fraction of the fees charged by other popular venues.
- The Little Theatre is fully equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound equipment and facilities.
- The Little Theatre has a formal auditorium that accommodates 292 people in modern, movie theatre-style seats.
- There are 78 parking bays on the theatre’s premises and more parking at the Unisa building across the road.
- As the Little Theatre is an extremely popular venue, bookings have to be made well in advance. For example, bookings for 2011 will open as early as in July 2010.
