The old village of Wynberg was developed during the mid-19th Century when it became the preferred place of retirement for British civil servants returning from tours of duty in India. It remains an area of considerable architectural merit, and is one of the few suburbs close to the city of Cape Town which have managed to retain their unique Historical character. Because the original legislation did not allow for the declaration of Historical precincts, such as those proclaimed under current legislation, the former NMC undertook this project by declaring a number of individual properties as separate National Monuments. Twenty-three sites were declared National Monuments under old NMC legislation on 26 June 1981. Another nineteen were declared on 4 December 1981, and 33 on 8 October 1982. On 11 May 1984 this was extended by the addition of Little Marlow, and Parboo's Building, located on Wolfe Street, Durban, Wellington and Coghill Roads. This was a complex of four buildings which forms an integral part of the Historical centre. On 27 December 1985 six additional properties on Wellington, Mortimer and Coghill Roads were added.
The Local Residents affectionately refer to it as 'The Village'. It's a mere slip of a place where some may bray: "Oh you mean Wynberg?" It's where the local Church clock sits happily at half-past four, weekdays and weekends. It's a heavenly place full of flowers and courtyards, Farm-style glamour, barnyard beauty, thatched Victorian villas, gossipy antique dealers and Egyptian geese. Up the road a woman herbalist and fortune teller from North Africa takes care of your inner ghosts, bad luck, bad debt, headaches, stress etc. Summer means: 'Shakespeare or a famous Ballet, at Maynardville Open-air Theatre; winter a scrumptious high tea at Alison's restaurant or savouring the lava-hot talent of Chelsea chefs at Lupo's Restaurant or buy your morning newspaper from Mrs Parbhoo, who wears a spice-coloured sarie, her shop chockful of ice-creams and magazines.'
In this Village you'll find double-decker chocolate cakes slowly baking in gas ovens, and cats with names such as Tin-Tin and Chelsea lazing under rose bushes. Picture Gargoyles, Cape vernacular architecture with a swirl of Georgian and Victorian detail, latticed dormer windows and sash and the smell of thatch. Immaculate Cottages with small handkerchief English gardens.
Theatre in the Park at Mynardville Open Air-Theatre, goes something like this: 'This tree or not this tree?' The question of most Shakespearian students and fans scouting out a pre-theatre picnic spot in the Maynardville Park. Home to Maynardville Open-air Theatre, this leafy venue under a roof made only of stars took to fame with captivating annual productions of Shakespeare's plays (Shakespeare-in-the-Park). Sit on the lawn and sip from your picnic goblet or play hide-and-seek with Shakespeare's fairy cast in this 500m² magic woods. The 720 seater, wooden Outdoor Theatre; shares the unique performance platform with theatre's favourite rhyming couplets and ballet's famous romantic couples. Participate in thickening plots while characters develop or spectate in graceful movements while ballerinas développé.
What is a developp' in ballet, you ask? A développé is a movement in which the working leg is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg and slowly extended to an open position en l'air and held there with perfect control. The hips are kept level and square to the direction in which the dancer is facing.
The classical arts have an open-air stage with Mother Nature as the lead set designer. White floor length tutus are set against luminescent green leaves and humble period costumes fall against bare bark. CAPAB (Cape Provincial Arts Board) and CTCB (Cape Town City Ballet) display commitment to creating world-class open-air tributes to live staged theatre and dance works. Ribbons and rhyme and all things sublime are celebrated at Maynardville's forested stadium of the arts.
