Mandela Bay Theatre Complex officially launched in Gqeberha

The new provincial Mandela Bay Theatre Complex has officially been launched in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

The theatre is a combination of the historical Opera House, The Barn and Stage World Performing Arts School.

The institution, previously known as the Oprah House, is one of the oldest theatres in Africa. It was built in 1892 and remains the main venue for drama productions and other shows in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The Mandela Bay Theatre Complex is the main venue for dramatic productions and shows in the province and is the only surviving example of a Victorian Theatre in Africa.

It was declared a Cultural Institution by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa in May last year.

This occasion of declaring Mandela Bay Theatre Complex as a Cultural Institution for Performing Arts is a befitting tribute to the generations that came before us, an investment for the coming generations. pic.twitter.com/GIGcCRU2ol

— Min. Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) May 31, 2021

Mandela Bay Theatre Complex CEO, Monde Ngonyama, says artists will benefit more from the cash injection.

“The minister has invested R20 million in this institution. You have heard the CFO saying only 35% of that money will go to operations. 65% goes to programs and artists in this current financial year.”

In the related report below, Minister Mthethwa officiated the launch of the institution: