Fugard Theatre
The Fugard Theatre, also known as The Fugard, was opened in the District Six area of Cape Town, South Africa in February 2010. The site is currently managed by the District Six Museum Board following the theatre's official closure in March 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. History. Following the Laurence Olivier Award-winning revival of "The Magic Flute" starring South African performers of Mark Dornford-May's Isango Portobello, Eric Abraham wanted to create a space in Cape Town to house South African talent. Abraham underwrote the construction of the theatre, naming it after Athol Fugard . Developed with Dornford-May and Mannie Manim, Rennie Scurr Adendorff began renovating the National Heritage listed neo-Gothic Congregational Church Hall and two former warehouses, including the Sacks Futeran building, in September 2009. Politicians such as Kgalema Motlanthe and Trevor Manuel as well as actors such as Alan Rickman and Janet Suzman attended the grand opening in February 2010. Fugard himself premiered his play "The Train Driver" at the Fugard in March 2010. The Fugard became a venue that hosted plays, musicals, operas, and cinema and book events such as film premieres and the Open Book Festival. Abraham, with Daniel  Galloway as the Managing Director & Producer (December 2010 to January 2020), ran the Fugard as a philanthropic endeavor. After announcing a temporary closure, owing to the Covid-19 Pandemic, in March 2020, the theatre offered online streaming performances overseen by then newly appointed General Manager Lamees Albertus and Artistic Director, Greg Karvellas. However, the financial losses became too great, and there was little confidence it would be safe enough to reopen soon or that it would receive support from the government. Abraham announced in March 2021 that the theatre would be closing and the building would be handed back to the  District Six Museum Board, whom Abraham hoped would find use out of the space. "Another icon has fallen", John Kani wrote of the closure, and Lebo Mashile called it a "painful death". Many in the artistic community, the press, and the EFF called on Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa to do more to support the sector. Board Chair Siraj Desai stated a search for new tenants was underway.