2018 Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards nominees announced

Through awarding excellence in professional theatre, Fleur du Cap wine and the Theatre Awards have played a significant role in the lives of South African theatre-makers. “Theatre is the showcase for generations of artists; it is an honour to support such a pivotal part of the industry,” says SA brand manager for Premium Wines, Khanya Mashalaba.

Renate Sturrman, Paul Slabolepszy, Charmaine-Weir Smith in Suddenly the Storm - photo by Eric Miller

Winners are chosen from productions performed at professional theatre venues in and around Cape Town. Theatre practitioners are recognised for acting, directing, staging, and technical ability. These nominations reflect the excellent theatre talent seen on stages throughout the Western Cape, last year. For the first time, awards will be made in the categories of Best Performance in an Opera (Male), Best Performance in an Opera (Female), Best Performance by an Ensemble, Best Theatre Production for Children and Young People, and Best Production.

The awards are considered in 26 different categories, including for Lifetime Achievement and Innovation in Theatre. The latter will be announced at the ceremony, next month. The judges for the 2017 productions were Africa Melane, Dr Beverley Brommert, Eugene Yiga, Johan van Lill, Marina Griebenow, Maurice Carpede, Niel Roux, Tracey Saunders, and Wayne Muller.

A total of 80 diverse productions from the year under review were eligible for consideration. The student panel adjudicated another 35 student productions, bringing the total number of productions that were considered in 2017 to 115.

“The increased number of nominees in the category for Best New South African Script is extremely exciting as it means that local theatre-makers are becoming bolder in telling the stories that are at the heart of our collective lived experience. To see life imitating art in this way, is truly exhilarating. We thank Fleur du Cap wine brand, 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.

Each award carries a cash prize of R15,000 and a silver medallion. All voting processes are audited and overseen by Distell Internal Audit and the legal firm Cluver Markotter Inc.

The nominees in the various categories are, in alphabetical order:

Best performance by a lead actor in a play

André Roothman in Die Nag van Legio as Dogoman
Charlton George in Marat/Sade as Jean-Paul Marat
Craig Morris in Tartuffe as Tartuffe/Madame Pernelle
Ephraim Gordon in Die Dans van die Watermeid as Mills
Marty Kintu in Topdog/Underdog as Lincoln

Best performance by a lead actress in a play

Buhle Ngaba in What Remains as The Student
Charmaine Weir-Smith in Suddenly the Storm as Shanell
Faniswa Yisa in What Remains as The Archeologist
Tinarie van Wyk Loots in Hemelruim as Mariaan
Tinarie van Wyk Loots in Marat/Sade as Charlotte Corday

Best performance by a supporting actor in a play

Bongile Mantsai in Marat/Sade as Duperret
Darren Araujo in Shakespeare in Love as Henslowe, Ensemble
Gerben Kamper in Die Nag van Legio as Oubaas Menge
Mark Elderkin in Twelfth Night as Malvolio
Wessel Pretorius in Twelfth Night as Feste

Best performance by a supporting actress in a play

Camilla Waldman in Tartuffe as Cléante
Faith Kinnear in Marat/Sade as Patient, Chorus
Jenny Stead in The Visit as Jackie Lodin
Renate Stuurman in Suddenly the Storm as Namhla
Robyn Scott in Shakespeare in Love as Elizabeth I, Ensemble

Best performance by a lead actor in a musical or music theatre show

Andile Gumbi in King Kong as King Kong
David Dennis in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Bernadette
Jonathan Roxmouth in Evita as Che
Marc Lottering in Aunty Merle the Musical as Aunty Merle
Sne Dladla in King Kong as Pop

Best performance by a lead actress in a musical or music theatre show

Ashleigh Harvey in Funny Girl as Fanny Brice
Edith Plaatjies in King Kong as Joyce
Emma Kingston in Evita as Eva
Nondumiso Tembe in King Kong as Joyce
Tarryn Lamb in Aunty Merle the Musical as Abigail

Best performance by a supporting actor in a musical or music theatre show

Anton Luitingh in Evita as Magaldi
Anton Luitingh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Pharoah
Sanda Shandu in King Kong as Lucky
Tshepo Ncokoane in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Miss Understanding
Tshamano Sebe in King Kong as Jack

Best performance by a supporting actress in a musical or music theatre show

Candice von Litsenborgh in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Shirley
Isabella Jane in Evita as The Mistress
Josslynn Hlenti in King Kong as Petal
Kate Normington in Funny Girl as Mrs Brice
Tankiso Mamabolo in Aunty Merle the Musical as Lydia

Best performance by an ensemble

The cast of Marat/Sade
The divas of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
The cast of Shakespeare in Love
The cast of Tartuffe
The cast of What Remains

Best performance in a revue, cabaret or one-person show

Daniel Mpilo Richards in State Fracture in Various Roles
Gideon Lombard in Die Reuk van Appels as Marnus
Jemma Kahn in In Bocca al Lupo as The Narrator
Sandra Prinsloo in Moedertaal as Nellie
Tony Bonani Miyambo in Kafka's Ape as Red Pete

Best performance in an opera – male

Fikile Mvinjelwa in Rigoletto as Rigoletto
Jaco Venter in Der Fliegende Holländer as Holländer
Lukhanyo Moyake in Rigoletto as The Duke of Mantua
Lukhanyo Moyake in  Der Fliegende Holländer as Steuermann
Martin Mkhize in The Magic Flute as Papageno

Best performance in an opera – female

Brittany Smith in The Magic Flute as Pamina
Johanni van Oostrum in Der Fliegende Holländer as Senta
Leah Gunter in The Magic Flute as The Queen
Noluvuyiso Mpofu in Rigoletto as Gilda
Nonhlanhla Yende in Rigoletto as Maddalena

Best theatre production for children and young people

Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer for Peter Pan
Jon Keevy for The Underground Library
Marinda Engelbrecht and Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck for Vlooi en die Koninginby/Kipper and the Queen Bee

Award for most promising student

Luntu Masiza, AFDA
Matthew Stuurman, UCT
Melani-Roxanne Breedt, AFDA
Tristan de Beer, UCT
Zoe McLaughlin, WTS

Best new director

Dara Beth
Joshua G Ackerman
Nico Scheepers
Nwabisa Plaatjie
Thando Mangcu

Best lighting design

Nick Schlieper and Per Hording for Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Patrick Curtis for Marat/Sade
Tim Mitchell for King Kong
Wilhelm Disbergen for What Remains
Wolf Britz for Shakespeare in Love

Best set design

Brian Thomson for Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Bus Concept and Production Design)
Greg King for Suddenly the Storm
Jaco Bouwer for Marat/Sade
Nicola Mayer for Immortal
Nigel Hook for The Play that Goes Wrong

Best costume design

Birrie le Roux for King Kong
Birrie le Roux for Funny Girl
Leigh Bishop and Lieze van Tonder for Twelfth Night
Sasha Ehlers for Tartuffe
Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner for Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best sound design, original music composition or original score

Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for Original Music Composition (additional) for King Kong
Daf James and Michael Williams for Original Score for Tiger Bay the Musical
Neo Muyanga for Original Music Composition for Twelfth Night
Pierre-Henri Wicomb for Original Music Composition for Marat/Sade
Tarryn Lamb and Marc Lottering for Original Score for Aunty Merle the Musical

Best new South African script

Die Dans van die Watermeid by Amee Lekas
Suddenly the Storm by Paul Slabolepszy
The Eulogists by Louis Viljoen
The Visit by Brent Palmer
What Remains by Nadia Davids

Best director

Jaco Bouwer for Marat/Sade
Jay Pather for What Remains
Jonathan Munby for King Kong
Lara Bye for Die Reuk van Appels
Sylvaine Strike for Tartuffe

Best production

Die Reuk van Appels - Theatrerocket (Johan van der Merwe and Rudi Sadler)
King Kong - The Fugard Theatre (Eric Abraham)
Marat/Sade - The Baxter Theatre (Nicolette Moses)
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - ShowTime Management (Hazel Feldman)
What Remains - Nadia Davids

A limited number of tickets for the ceremony at The Baxter Theatre will be on sale at R300 per person. Purchase your tickets from the Baxter Box Office on 021 685 7880 or Webtickets from 15th February 2018.

www.fleurducap.co.za