The Lancaster House Agreement and the forming of Zimbabwe, also didn't have much effect on the Theatre, apart from the easing of sanctions, etc. The only notable incident was when the independence celebrations were held, many visiting diplomats booked tickets for the Reps Theatre and hardly any showed up. Today Since its founding, the theatre has produced over 725 of its own shows. It has had to grapple with high costs of production members leaving for overseas the difficulty of effective advertising the difficulty of replacing and updating light fitting/bulbs and curtains high costs of rights to perform shows with a dwindling income from reduced audiences. a 'culture of fear' that restricts what can be said about the government However, the theatre still manages to produce about six or seven plays per year and has absolutely no plans of slowing down. The theatre has always been a cultural mixing pot for Zimbabweans and visitors alike and a number of Reps members have gone on to find fame and hopefully fortune overseas. Repteens Repteens was founded in August 1960 as the 'young people's company' at Reps Theatre. Repteens was given the objective of training young people in the Art of Theatre. It is open to people aged between 13 and 19 years and is run by an experienced theatre director/teacher. Its members are often recruited for use in Reps' major productions and the company will occasionally put on its own productions. Many former members of Repteens have pursued a career in theatre – the most notable is the famed Over the Edge Company, which has won great recognition and awards for its productions in London and Edinburgh. Sources The Story of Reps by Robert Cary (Galaxie press, 1974) References External links Reps Theatre Homepage (Contains details and photos of recent productions) A complete list of productions since 1931 Over the Edge Theatrical Company Twin Arts (A Zimbabwe Art and Culture Events List) Theatre companies in Zimbabwe Theatre in Zimbabwe