Reps Theatre Maasdorp Ave / Sam Nujoma St, Harare, Zimbabwe

Reps Reporter - December 2010

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We are coming to the end of a very busy and eventful 50th Anniversary year. Whilst I know that you have all been kept very well informed about what has been happening on the stage in terms of our own productions and hire shows, and in the bar and elsewhere for social events, I thought you might like to know what else has been happening “behind the scenes” to keep the Theatre complex a safe, welcoming and pleasant place to visit.

Water is a continuous problem for us. The issues faced by the City Fathers are well known and simply roll down on to us. The Belgravia area has had many burst pipes in recent years and all too frequently, the response has been to simply switch off the water supply. Originally we installed a five thousand litre water tank to take care of the days when there was no water, but this has proved to be insufficient, so we have had a second tank installed together with a pressure tank, pump, piping and the necessary electrical connections.

Repairs have also been made to:

• Theatre air conditioning
• Bar fridges
• The floor of the main stage

We have repainted the front of the theatre building, installed a new geyser in the bar kitchen, replaced stock of lighting supplies and I am sure everyone who uses the bar has noticed the increased amount and range of bar stocks. All of this is in addition to the normal run-of-the-mill repairs and maintenance.

Over the World Cup, Peter and Betty Hobbs ran an extremely successful fund raiser for bar refurbishment. To date, and from the funds raised, new optics have been purchased; energy saver light bulbs have been bought to replace the current bulbs in the bar (which means that the bar can be lit from the standby generator); and quotes have been sought to refurbish the bar fridges, new carpeting, covering the bench cushions and replacement of the curtains. The funds raised from the recent Golf Day will also go towards bar projects. The bar sub-committee would dearly like to have the bar “garden” put in order – so if you are an avid pot plant gardener and have some spare time, please get in touch with Tim Garrard on 0712 617 119 or tim.garrard@yahoo.com and become our very first official bar pot plant person!

The recent high wind lifted the flashing and roof sheets of the downstage right corner of the flying tower – this will also be attended to as soon as possible.

Our beloved theatre is a 50 year old lady, and needs constant care and attention to keep her happy, hygienic and hospitable.

We have many smaller children visiting the premises for various reasons – ballet lessons are held in one of our rehearsal rooms during the week, we have Preps on Saturday mornings, parents come to rehearsal with their children, or visit the bar. Katie Cooper (the convener of Preps) has raised the funds from the Preps parents and with an amount from the main account and has had the playground refurbished and made more safe. Please don’t let your inner child rule – if you are over 12 years old, don’t swing on our swings or see on our saws.

On stage, the Pantomime has opened, the Christmas spirit has invaded us, and the bar is getting ready for carols on Christmas Eve and fun and games on New Year’s Eve. From me and all of ExCo and the staff – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you at the nOughties on 31 December!

Dramatically yours

Teri Grimmel, Chairman

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