The Masque Theatre

The Masque is an iconic cornerstone of Cape Town’s cultural landscape, celebrating over six decades of fostering creativity, inclusivity and community spirit. Founded by the visionary Bertie Stern, The Masque boldly stood as a beacon of inclusivity, welcoming participants of all backgrounds through its doors.

Home to many amateur theatre societies over the years, it was forced to close in 1997 following a devastating fire. It reopened in 1999, largely thanks to the generosity of the late Joan St Leger-Lindberg. This enabled The Masque to carry on with its work as a vibrant and resilient community-driven venue, encouraging voluntary participation in all forms of theatre by all people. 

Today, under the dedicated stewardship of the Stern Masque Theatre Trust, The Masque continues to thrive, curating high-quality amateur productions, promoting skills development, providing a service of artistic engagement with the community, celebrating diversity and building on the theatre’s reputation as a sought-after professional venue-for-hire.

Through innovation, growth and creativity, as well as the support of volunteers and members, The Masque remains an important part of the social fabric, welcoming audiences of all backgrounds to experience the magic of live theatre.