THE end has arrived for Gateway’s Barnyard Theatre. It’s last show was on New Year’s Eve and now the local theatre is waiting to be demolished. This comes after The Barnyard Theatre Productions announced in November last year that they were terminating the franchise. The theatre played host to more than 100 major productions and numerous charity events over a 15-year-period. In an interview on Saturday from the Barnyard at Gateway, amidst the demolition of the once popular venue, owner of the venue Debbie Davidson said:
“What made it special was that it appealed to people of all ages, from children right through to grandparents and it gave them the opportunity to come together and bond through music which is very special. That was the thing, the common denominator that linked them all.”
When reflecting on the relationship which the Barnyard Theatre had with locals she said, “I think the Barnyard had a relationship with the community where it provided the opportunity for people to come and celebrate special occasions here and that has now been taken away from them.”
The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway shook up the Durban supper-theatre scene, when they opened the 470-seater venue on 2 November 2001. A total of 105 major productions were staged at the 470-seater venue. The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway was the recipient of Marketing Excellence Award from the Institute of Marketing Management.
This was followed by Davidson, being acknowledged for the role she has played in the venue’s success when she was awarded the Umhlanga Business Personality of the Year award by the Durban Chamber of Commerce. Durbanites also showed an outpouring of concern and support when The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway was severely damaged in a fire that shut down the venue for a week after the opening of its year-end show in October 2010.
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