Warehouse Theatre Celebrates 30 Years

With a bustling and bohemian history spanning decades, the Warehouse Theatre has long been a cultural hub in Windhoek’s arts and entertainment scene.

Providing a meeting place for like-minded artists, poets, musicians and comedians, the venue opened its doors in 1989 and will celebrate an illustrious 30 years with a bash featuring Elemotho and Slickartie tomorrow at 20h00.

Over the years, the Warehouse Theatre has hosted international acts as diverse as Joss Stone, Johnny Clegg, Ty Bailie, Ensemble Vertograd, Julia Sarr and Jan Blohm.

It has seen hundreds of creatives share their art through regular initiatives such as Spoken Word, Free Your Mind and Song Night, and has showcased a multitude of talents through dance shows, karaoke events, puppet shows, stand-up comedy, drumming circles, visual art exhibitions, drama productions, fashion shows and musical theatre. Music lovers have danced the night away as DJs blended tunes, artists launched albums and Namibia’s favourite musicians performed live.

The venue has also hosted many community projects such as meditation sessions, community yoga classes and workshops and been the ideal venue for corporate launches.

Ernst Herma ran the Warehouse Theatre from 1991 to 2009 – a time he recalls as the most fulfilling and creative period of his life.

A show that lies very close to his heart, even after all these years, took place in October 1992 – ‘Diamonds On My Windshield’, a tribute by bassist Marc Duby from Durban.

“There was a packed house over three nights. Also on Independence Day in 1993, we hosted Bayete from South Africa, the band of the late Jabu Khanyile,” he proudly recalls.

“We closed in 2009 after the rentals went up 800% over a period of six years. We approached the owners for a 10-year lease, which was declined at the time.”

Christine Hugo then ran the theatre for some years, however, a name change was necessary.

“When we bought the Warehouse Theatre, the previous owners demanded a very expensive price for us to continue using Warehouse Theatre as the name, so we reluctantly had to change it. 99FM had just been rebranded and the radio station’s brand positioning was very proudly Namibian and pro-Namibian artists (as it still is) and it made sense to us to capitalise on the synergies and to use our platform to build awareness for the shows at the theatre as well as for the local artists. That is why it became the 99FM Playhouse Theatre,” Hugo says.

She refers to this time as magical but challenging, saying that dreams don’t pay bills.

“The overheads were tremendous, whilst Windhoek’s theatre culture is not such that it could sustain the expenses. We tried to create alternative revenue streams through catering and the restaurant, leasing the venue for conferences and private parties, but a lack of parking was always a major constraint.”

Hugo says they sold the business because the model did not work.

“We were delighted that Michael Ott took over in 2012. He’s a musician and we hoped that he might know better how to make the business a success. I honestly believe that arts and culture need to be protected as a national treasure, and supported,” says Hugo.

Just a few months ago, the Warehouse Theatre hosted a crowdfunding campaign aimed at keeping its doors open.

Ott says revenue has been decreasing steadily over the past three years. “The audience to the theatre has diminished from about 300 to 52. For many years, the Boiler Room has been carrying the whole place, but its sales are also decreasing. We are seeing fewer feet and people are spending less,” says Ott, attributing the decline to the current economic crisis.

Ott says he has handed in a three-year proposal to the owners and is waiting on feedback, which will determine whether the venue will shut its doors for good or not.

“It would be sad if we close down. That stage has grown so many artists. What makes the venue a little different from others is the fact the audiences get the chance to experience the performing act as a human being. At many concerts, you are far away from the performer, but not here. People would often tell me that they will never forget their experience at the Warehouse Theatre because of the personal interaction between the crowd and artist. This can bring tears to anyone.”

Ott’s personal connection to the venue goes back even further. This is where his music dreams became a reality when he and his band first graced the stage at the age of 13.

“I have seen many artists growing their careers here. I have seen audiences being grateful for seeing some of their favourite stars. We have also taught many in the industry about international rules. One that we’ve followed since 2011 is to never be late for a performance. If performers are late, then they will not perform. This is happening worldwide,” Ott says.

While the Warehouse Theatre certainly stands out for hosting international acts, Ott says the main aim is to make Namibian artists and audiences happy.

“We don’t make a lot of money from international artists’ shows. Whenever an international performer is gracing the stage, we always try our best to have a performer from here too. Our performers have learnt a lot from these internationals. In this industry, there is always something new to learn.”

Contemporary storyteller and traditional artist Elemotho says when he first started his music career, the only thing he wanted to do was to have the platform to perform at the Warehouse Theatre.

“Back then, I was an aspiring singer/songwriter and a member of the University of Namibia band. All we wanted to do was perform there, but back then it was exclusively for professionals. You had to be ready to play, because it was the main music house in town. It’s a proper music house with ambience and equipment. It’s only natural to want to perform in a professional establishment as a professional musician,” the multi-award-winning artist says.

“A good performance is something that feeds my spirit beyond words. I look forward to younger people harnessing their craft and eventually working towards exhibiting their work with honesty, truth and sincere love for the arts,” Elemotho says.

“When I arrived, I was impressed by the welcoming and professional atmosphere. For me, it is a rare and special place on the planet. I
really hope it will stick around to be a place for people to create wonderful moments.”

While Lize Ehlers has performed at the Warehouse Theatre on several occasions, for her the ultimate highlight is that the locale has been home to the Song Night initiative since 2011.

“It is where the development of upcoming singers has been taking place for free. Despite this, the Warehouse has been a safe stage and an exciting part in the circle of life for various performers. Over the past 30 years, I was amazed by the sweet sound of great singing and the chills of great acting and poetry. There were always thrills going through my body right before I had to go on stage,” she says.