Teatro at Montecasino celebrates fifth birthday

"It's been five truly exciting and inspiring years," says Bryan Hill, general manager of the Teatro. "In our wildest dreams we couldn't have anticipated the overwhelmingly positive response we've had, largely from a South African audience, to the variety of shows over the years, or the unprecedented appeal which has seen the Teatro enjoying an average occupancy of 80% throughout its lifespan, being voted Best Theatre in the Leisure Options Readers Choice Awards for the past two years, and welcoming our two millionth visitor in January this year.

Contributing to theatre

"Our vision for the Teatro has always been to bring a variety of diverse productions to the stage that appeal to very different audiences and demographic groups. Not only is this confirming the success of the Teatro as a world-class venue, but, most importantly, ensures that the Teatro contributes to the growth of theatre audiences in South Africa. The bottom line is that the more variety we offer, the bigger the target audience we attract to become theatre-goers. It's a win-win situation for both the Teatro at Montecasino and all the players of the South African theatre industry."

In five short years the Teatro has quickly become renowned for the stellar quality of shows it offers, hosting productions that cannot be seen anywhere else in Africa. "We were incredibly fortunate to open the Teatro with one of the world's most successful and longest-running theatre productions - Disney's The Lion King. The production went on to break all box office records in South Africa, with over 550 000 people watching the show over 36 weeks, making it the longest-running show in South African theatre history," continues Hill.

Broadway hit returns

Amongst the top international productions seen at the Teatro have been Grease, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Cats, Dreamgirls, Disney's High School Musical, Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Imperial Ice Stars' Nutcracker on Ice, Swan Lake on Ice and Cinderella on Ice, and many others.

The Teatro's fifth birthday will be celebrated during the season of the phenomenally successful Broadway hit, Andrew Lloyd Webbers' The Phantom of the Opera, which has played to more than 100 million people in 149 cities around the world.