52nd Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards nominees announced

For over 50 years the Fleur du Cap wine brand has proudly associated itself with the Theatre Awards as they showcase the flair that is synonymous with the wine. “The awards enable us to support theatre-makers who offer moments of freedom and purposeful expression,” says Distell Luxury brand director, Carina Gous.

Winners of the awards are chosen from productions performed at professional theatre venues in and around Cape Town. Theatre practitioners are recognised for their acting, directing, staging and technical abilities. These nominations reflect the exceptional talent seen on stages last year, and which kept audiences coming back for more.

20 categories

The awards are considered in 20 different categories including awards for the Lifetime Achievement and Innovation in Theatre. The recipients of the latter two will be announced at the ceremony next month. A total of 85 productions from the year under review were eligible for consideration. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, an insufficient number of student productions could be adjudicated last year and consequently the award for the Most Promising Student will not be made. Similarly, no award is being made in the category for Best Puppetry Design. The judges for the 2016 productions were Africa Melane, Dr Beverley Brommert, Christine Moritz, Eugene Yiga, Johan van Lill, Marina Griebenow, Niel Roux, Steyn du Toit and Tracey Saunders.

It was an exhilarating year in our theatres, where real life and art became interchangeable. “The stage was set for expressions of individual and collective stories, without which we would not be able to celebrate excellence in theatre. Thank you to Fleur du Cap wines, the hardworking panel of judges, theatre-makers and all the creatives behind the scenes who made this possible,” says Melanie Burke, chairman of the judging panel.

For a production to be eligible, a run of a minimum of eight performances over a period of three weeks at the same venue is required. Each award carries a cash prize of R15,000 and is accompanied by a silver medallion. All voting processes are audited and overseen by the legal firm Cluver Markotter Inc.

The nominees in the various categories (Name – Play – Role) are:

Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play

Andrew Buckland for The Inconvenience of Wings as Paul
Desmond Dube for I See You as Buthelezi
Marius Weyers for The Father as André
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for Cattle Drive as Ra
Ralph Lawson for A Voice I Cannot Silence as Alan Paton

Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play

Anna-Mart van der Merwe for The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek as Elmarie Kleynhans
Ilse Klink for Kristalvlakte as Priscilla
Jennifer Steyn for The Inconvenience of Wings as Sara
Jennifer Steyn for A Doll's House as Nora Helmer
Susan Danford for Clybourne Park as Bev/Kathy

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play

David Viviers for The Finkelsteins are Coming to Dinner as James Dean
John Smith for Kristalvlakte as Ephraim
Lunga Radebe for I See You as Shabangu
Motheo Madisa for Cattle Drive as Enoch
Rob van Vuuren for A Doll's House as Nils Krogstad

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play

Amy-Louise Wilson for The Father as Laura
Anthea Thompson for A Doll's House as Mrs Kristine Linde
Babalwa Zimbini for Ityala Lamawele as Yiliwe
Bianca Flanders for Kristalvlakte as Miela
Megan Furniss for The Finkelsteins are Coming to Dinner as The Mother

Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-Person Show

Antoinette Kellerman for As die broek pas as Ella Gericke
Daniel Richards for Pay Back The Curry as Various
Marlo Minnaar for Santa Gamka as Luck Marais
Pieter-Dirk Uys for The Echo of a Noise as The Narrator
Wessel Pretorius for Die Ontelbare 48 as Various

Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

Anton Luitingh for Annie as Daddy Warbucks
Earl Gregory for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Joseph
Jonathan Roxmouth for I'm Playing Your Song: The Marvin Hamlisch Story as Marvin Hamlisch
Jonathan Roxmouth for Sweeney Todd as Sweeney Todd
Paul du Toit for Hedwig and the Angry Inch as Hedwig

Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

Bianca le Grange for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as The Narrator
Charon Williams-Ros for Sweeney Todd as Mrs Lovett
Charon Williams-Ros for Annie as Miss Hannigan
Genna Galloway for Hedwig and the Angry Inch as Yitzhak
Lilla Fleischmann for Annie as Annie

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

Dean Roberts for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Jacob/Potiphar
Germandt Geldenhuys for Sweeney Todd as Adolfo Pirelli
Jonathan Roxmouth for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Pharaoh
Michael Richard for Sweeney Todd as Judge Turpin
Richard Vorster for Annie as Drake

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

Candice van Litsenborgh for Sweeney Todd as Various
Delray Halgryn for Annie as Lily
Sanli Jooste for Sweeney Todd as Johanna
Taryn Sudding for Annie as Grace
Zoleka Mpotsha for A Man of Good Hope as Asad (as a boy) / Musharaf

Best Director

Christiaan Olwagen for A Doll's House
Jaco Bouwer for Santa Gamka
Lara Foot for Karoo Moose
Lara Foot for The Inconvenience of Wings
Noma Dumezweni for I See You

Best Lighting Design

Ben Cracknell for Annie
Faheem Bardien for Ityala Lamawele
Jaco Bouwer for Santa Gamka
Tina le Roux for Sweeney Todd
Wolf Britz for A Doll's House

Best Set Design

Colin Richmond for Annie
Greg King for Sweeney Todd
Rocco Pool for The Father
Rocco Pool for A Doll's House
Saul Radomsky for Clybourne Park

Best Costume Design

Birrie le Roux for District Six Kanala
Birrie le Roux for Clybourne Park
Colin Richmond for Annie
Neil Stuart Harris for Sweeney Todd
Niall Griffin for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Best Soundscape, original Music Composition or original Score

David Kramer for District Six Kanala - original Music Composition and original Score
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek - Soundscape
Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi & Motheo Madisa for Cattle Drive - Soundscape
Ulric Namasun Roberts for Santa Gamka - Soundscape
Wilken Calitz for Kristalvlakte - Soundscape and original Score

Best New South African Script

Amy Jephta for Kristalvlakte
Lara Foot for The Inconvenience of Wings
Mongiwekhaya for I See You
Penelope Youngleson for Sillage
Ralph Lawson & Greg Homann for a Voice I Cannot Silence

Best New Director

Mbongeni Mtshali
Quanita Adams
Wessel Pretorius

Tickets sales for the awards ceremony at the Artscape Theatre, open on 1 March via Computicket (0861 915 8000) and is R250 per person. For more info, go to www.fleurducap.co.za.