DES AND DAWN LINDBERG

Theatre Producers



TRACK RECORD



Their Productions

Click below to view a selection of Theatre Posters from Des & Dawn's archive





Photos from Des & Dawn's "Folk on Trek" Scrapbook!

Des and Dawn Lindberg have been in the business of show business for 45 years. Their company, "Cabaret and Theatre" was established in 1965 and was the first non racial theatre production company to play in public venues all over South Africa.



Their first major musical production was "Godspell".



This was the first racially mixed professional production to be staged publicly in South Africa. Godspell originally opened in Maseru, Lesotho in 1973 and ran there for 5 months. When Des and Dawn Lindberg brought it to South Africa to open at the Wits University Great Hall, it was immediately banned, ostensibly on the grounds of "blasphemy". This banning was widely and immediately recognised as a political smoke-screen for the real issue of racial mixing, a direct challenge to the Apartheid laws of the government of the day.



The Lindbergs challenged the banning in the Supreme Court, and won their case.



As a result Godspell toured South Africa for two years, and succeeded in opening doors to all races on both sides of the footlights wherever it played. It was a theatrical triumph, and a political and legal breakthrough.



The complete account of the Courtroom Battle over Godspell can be found in the book, Thank You Judge Mostert by Carmel Rickard - Published by Penguin Books South Africa Pty Ltd. 2010. ISBN 978 0 143 02675 4.

This original Lindberg Production of Godspell starred, Bruce Millar, Des Lindberg, Cocky "Two-Bull" Tlhotlhalemaje, Harriet Matiwane, Ali Lerefolo, Trish McKenna, Roz Monat and Caryn Solomon.

(Subsequent productions starred amongst others, Patrick Ndlovu, Barrie Shah, Neville Nash, Dawn Lindberg, Mandisa of Savuka fame, Ian Lawrence, Sam Marais and David Denis.

Des and Dawn Lindberg's next major production, "The Black Mikado" was the first mainstream West End musical production ever to premier in Soweto, where it played at the Diepkloof Hall in Late May 1976, just before the Soweto student uprising ,June 1976.



"The Black Mikado" starred Ben "Satch" Masinga, Thandi Klaasen, Barrie Shah, Leslie Mongezi, Des Lindberg, Patrick Ndlovu, Duke Makasi, Sammy Brown, Sue Keil, Felicia Marion, Sipho Gumede and the band "Spirits Rejoice".

Musicals and Plays produced by Des and Dawn Lindberg include: Godspell (Countrywide '73, '74, '75, '77, '94)

(Countrywide '73, '74, '75, '77, '94) "Pippin" , starring Sammy Brown (His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg '75)

, starring Sammy Brown (His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg '75) The Shrew (Charles Marowitz' version of The Taming of the Shrew (Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Cape Town '75)

(Charles Marowitz' version of The Taming of the Shrew (Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Cape Town '75) The Black Mikado starring Sammy Brown, Ben Satch Masinga, Abigail Kubeka (Soweto, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pietersburg, Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Cape Town '76)

starring Sammy Brown, Ben Satch Masinga, Abigail Kubeka (Soweto, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pietersburg, Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Cape Town '76) The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas , starring Abigail Khubeka & Judy Page (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town '78)

, starring Abigail Khubeka & Judy Page (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town '78) Lennon - Des Lindberg's Docudrama about John Lennon (Johannesburg, Cape Town '82)

- Des Lindberg's Docudrama about John Lennon (Johannesburg, Cape Town '82) I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road Starring Dawn Lindberg, Bruce Millar, Anne Power (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town ('83)

Starring Dawn Lindberg, Bruce Millar, Anne Power (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town ('83) Every Good Boy Deserves Favour - Starring Michael McCabe, Michael Richard, Dale Cutts ('86) (Vita Award: Best Production)

- Starring Michael McCabe, Michael Richard, Dale Cutts ('86) (Vita Award: Best Production) A, My Name is Alice (Johannesburg, Stellenbosch '86)

When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout Grahamstown, Johannesburg ('87)

Grahamstown, Johannesburg ('87) King Afrika starring Henry Cele, Mara Louw, Elzabe Zietsman and Abigail Khubeka ('89)

starring Henry Cele, Mara Louw, Elzabe Zietsman and Abigail Khubeka ('89) Wanna Be, Gonna Be , a development show directed by Dawn Lindberg staged at the Market Theatre and the Civic Theatre, and featuring 40 talented new artists from schools in Soweto and Johannesburg (2000)

, a development show directed by Dawn Lindberg staged at the Market Theatre and the Civic Theatre, and featuring 40 talented new artists from schools in Soweto and Johannesburg (2000) Popcorn (Civic '98 / Co Pro with Real Concerts Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria ('99) (22 Vita nominations, 5 Awards)

(Civic '98 / Co Pro with Real Concerts Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria ('99) (22 Vita nominations, 5 Awards) Sex, Tango & Everything Else - Dawn played the lead in her own play- Sex Tango and Everything Else - Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria ('01/ '02)

- Dawn played the lead in her own play- Sex Tango and Everything Else - Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria ('01/ '02) The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler Starring Dawn Lindberg, Rosie Motene, Tselane Tambo, Rachel Tambo, Nqobile Sipamla, Nobuntui Mpahlaza, Karin van de Laag - Grahamstown, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth ('03 , '04, 09)

by Eve Ensler Starring Dawn Lindberg, Rosie Motene, Tselane Tambo, Rachel Tambo, Nqobile Sipamla, Nobuntui Mpahlaza, Karin van de Laag - Grahamstown, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth ('03 , '04, 09) Des & Dawn Still Truckin' - Des & Dawn's own Story and all their hit songs Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Cape Town, ('05, '06, 07)

- Des & Dawn's own Story and all their hit songs Johannesburg, Grahamstown, Cape Town, ('05, '06, 07) Unicorns, Spiders & Dragon's Tales - Des & Dawn's show for kids,… parents, grans and grandpas.('05, '06)

- Des & Dawn's show for kids,… parents, grans and grandpas.('05, '06) The Good Body by Even Ensler - Starring Liz Meiring, Anne Power, Esmeralda Bihl ('07) Des and Dawn Lindberg's skills and expertise

embrace and encompass all aspects of

Theatre and the Performing Arts.



Together as a team Des and Dawn are:

Producers

Directors

Entertainers

Singers

Actors

Set designers

Costume designers Lighting designers

Sound designers

Writers

Lyricists

Musicians

Dancers

Choreographers



They have themselves performed in every major theatre and cabaret room in South Africa and Zimbabwe.



Their major Corporate work has required them on a regular basis to transform spaces like factory floors, aircraft hangars, canteens, building sites, foyers, restaurants and pooldecks into fully equipped performance stages and auditoria.







