About The Fugard Theatre

Ronel Botha, who joined as Bar Staff in 2011, became The Fugard’s Bar Manager before working up to the position of Financial Manager. Kanyane Dorsaint and Olivier Lefkada, who also joined as bar staff in 2011, later became the Bar Co-Managers, with Olivier taking over as the Senior Accountant of The Fugard. Mirand Kiaku initially joined as a member of the bar staff and later became the Bar Duty Manager. Completing the front-of-house team was Aziez Gabier, who took over the role of Box Office Manager. Shakira Israel, who worked with Ingrid Stemmert at the box office, supported Aziez as Co-Box Office Manager after Ingrid Stemmet retired in April 2018. In addition, Shirley Alexander was part of the box office team and worked on an ad-hoc basis.

Iris Bolton, one of The Fugard’s longest serving members as Front of House Manager, headed up the front-of-house teams, including ushers, and the building care teams who, guided by Iris’s keen eye, ensured that the building was kept spotless, both in patron areas as well as backstage and that patrons were assisted in any way required. In addition, hundreds of contract ushering staff worked at The Fugard over the years, many becoming artists in their own right and some moving to form part of the production teams on many shows. Armed with an empathetic approach to patrons and artists, patience and her iconic brass bell, Iris remains another cornerstone of Fugard’s success, especially in patron care and audience engagement. 

Of all the teams in the Fugard, the production department was the one that evolved the fastest as production size and demands grew. Initially, the crew consisted of Jaco Nothnagel as Production Manager and Temba Stewart as Resident Stage Manager, who Matthew Lewis later replaced for a short term. Clynt Hlubi, who assisted on many of the first productions at the Fugard, filled multiple roles at The Fugard over the years, from lighting operator and rigger to assistant Techincal Stage Manager. Ben Du Plessis joined early in 2012 as a stage technician and later became the technical manager and was primarily responsible for executing the Fugards technological expansion on and off stage. After running the bar from 2011, Greg Karvellas took over from Jaco as Production Manager before leaving to pursue directing. Greg was replaced by theatre stalwart Johan Kupferburger who had been part of the original Isango management team as Theatre Manager. After Johan’s departure, Roberto Grove, who joined in 2014 as a technical assistant, signed on as Production Manager. After a successful tenure, Roberto was headhunted and replaced by Luke Ellenbogen as Production Manager until the theatre closed. Sean Whitehead, who began his journey with the Fugard in 2015 as a gauze operator on Orpheus In Africa, joined full-time as an Associate Lighting Designer and Programmer in 2018 before becoming Assistant Production Manager. The stage management team, headed by Juanita Van Wyk, who initially worked on a contract basis, was taken on as the Resident Senior Stage Manager, responsible for company and stage managing productions as well as managing the technical office and teams. Shayna Gleave, the Fugard’s Resident Technical Manager, who worked closely with Juanita, began her time at the Fugard as an office assistant in 2013. Ulibo Maake joined as a contract Stage Manager and became the Resident Junior Stage Manager. Achmat Khroodien, who began in the building care department, became an integral part of Fugard’s technical production team and ultimately became Assistant Technical Stage Manager with Marie Roux, who joined later. Finally, Angelo Pietersen began as an ad-hoc crew member and later joined as a full-time technical assistant. Hundreds of contract production staff, stage managers and technical crew, many not named here, also worked at the Fugard over the years.