Theater icon street names

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality recently (yeh ok, some months ago already) renamed three of the streets around the PE Opera House to celebrate three of Port Elizabeth's theatre legends.  John Kani, Athol Fugard and Winston Ntshona are truly three world icons and worked together on Sizwe Banzi is Dead in 1972 and The Island in 1973. Ntshona and Kani went on to win Tony awards for best actor for both plays while the names of all three have become synonymous with a phenomenal theatre legacy in South Africa.

Belmont Terrace was renamed as Athol Fugard Terrace, Whites Road to John Kani Road and Chapel Street was changed to Winston Ntshona Street.

Opera House contemplation

While on a tour of the Opera House a week or two (jeez, it could be three already) ago, I caught my friend - and fellow tourism peep - Seekoei taking in the view of the main auditorium from the stage while in deep contemplation.  Wonder if there was a bit of a "wouldn't it be great to be on stage in front of a packed house" moment going though his head. Probably not, but still made a great picture.

The new Opera House stained glass feature

One of the new additions to the newly revamped Port Elizabeth Opera House is a stained glass window featuring the only three Africans on the continent to win the prestigious Tony Award – John Kani, Winston Ntshona and Athol Fugard.  And best of all, they're all from our city. 

Forty years ago, the trio were nominated for the best play Tony Award, for their co-written play The Island.  Kani and Ntshona both walked away with best actor awards for The Island and Sizwe Banzi is Dead while Fugard was later awarded a Lifetime Tony in 2011 for his contribution to theatre.  Now the three legends are honoured and immortalised for their contribution to the arts through this magnificent stained glass window by David Manning at the top of the grand staircase in the foyer of the complex.

Inside the Port Elizabeth Opera House

When last have you attended a performance at the Opera House?  Do you even know what it looks like in the main theatre?  I am ashamed to say that I haven't been there for many many years, but I got to see it while on a tour of the facility last week.  The curtain isn't the main stage curtain but the fire curtain, which they demonstrated to us.

The new Opera House extension and renovations

Yesterday's post was a Then and Now post featuring the Port Elizabeth Opera House.  As the photo was taken from the street corner, the latest addition to the building wasn't really that visible so I decided to post a second photo.  The wine coloured section is is the part that was built on to the original building in 1985 and was part of the extensive renovations that took place over the last year and was painted this was as part of the work.  The glass section right at the end is a new addition to the building and includes a lift that means the Opera House is now fully wheelchair friendly. 

Then and Now - The Port Elizabeth Opera House

The first meeting to discuss a new theatre for Port Elizabeth took place in 1890 after which a company was formed, shares sold and a site was agreed upon with the Town Council.  The building was designed by G.W. Smith and opened on 1 December 1892.  The first lessees of the building was B and F Wheeler who also presented the opening performance of JM Barrie's "Walker, London".  By 1916 the theatre was taken over by African Consolidated Theatres and they turned it into a cinema.  In 1961 the Opera House was offered to the Municipality to use as a civic theatre, but they refused.  Five years later, in 1966, the Cape Provincial Administration bought and renovated it.  

The Opera House was extended in 1985 and had extensive renovations and another extension added in 2015.  Today the Port Elizabeth Opera House is one of the oldest active Victorian Theatres in the world.  Said to be the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere.  

The historic information in this post was taken from Margaret Harradine's excellent book, Port Elizabeth, A social chronicle to the end of 1945.