About The Company

The Company was formed in November 1984 “to fulfill a need for an active amateur dramatic group in Durban” (programme note from founding Chairman Pat Beauchamp to the first production, London Calling, in January 1985). The operative word was “active”, and The Company, with over seventy paid-up members, went on to stage six full-length productions in its first year of existence.

Thirty-five shows and 21 years later, The Company is still going strong, staging at least one major production each year. With no fixed “home” and a strong emphasis on music and dance, The Company rehearses and performs wherever it can find the space. Over the years this has included the Westville Civic Centre, the Elizabeth Sneddon, the Playhouse, the Rhumbelow, the Courtyard and the St John’s Theatre.

Over three hundred and fifty members have performed on stage over the years, some of whom have gone on to the professional theatre. Many come back to swell the audiences which invariably fill the houses at The Company’s popular supper-theatre musical reviews.

In 2007, the 21st anniversary production of “Everything Old is New Again” was held at the Sneddon which brought together a fresh presentation of many of the songs, dances and comedy sketches taken from Company shows over the last 21 years. Devised, directed and choreographed once again by Fiona Barnes-Snyder and co-directed by Liz Cunningham. With this production, she and her cast of 35 imparted a spirit of infectious enjoyment on stage that led a critic to once describe The Company as “this city’s leading ‘amateur’ company”.

The Company will no doubt “break a leg” entertaining you. We know you’ll enjoy the experience.