And the nominees for the 54th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are...

It is set to be a celebration of vintage theatre and wines. The annual awards programme is regarded as the most valued and prestigious in the South African performing arts industry. For more than 50 years the Fleur du Cap wine brand has been making award-winning wines and this quality is proudly expressed through its association with the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.

Desmond Dube as Pop in King Kong - Photo © Daniel Rutland Manners

There are 26 different award categories, including Lifetime Achievement and Innovation in Theatre. The latter will be announced at the ceremony next month.

The panel of judges comprised Africa Melane, Dr Beverley Brommert, Eugene Yiga, Lwando Scott, Marina Griebenow, Maurice Carpede, Peggy Mongoato, Tracey Saunders and Dr Wayne Muller.

Celebrating excellence together

Nominees and 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. For musical theatre productions and opera, the casts on opening night are considered.

A total of 87 diverse productions from the year under review were eligible for consideration.

In addition, productions presented by Afda, City Varsity, Magnet Theatre, Northlink College, the Centre for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies (UCT), the University of Stellenbosch and the Waterfront Theatre School were considered.

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.

Award for most promising student

Carlo Daniels (Magnet Theatre)
Cassandra-Tendai Mapanda (The Centre for Theatre, Drama and Preformance Studies, UCT)
Du Toit Albertze (US)
Lerato Makuwa (AFDA)
Nancy Sekhokoane (AFDA)

Best new South African script

Bauke Snyman for Swerfgoed
Chase Rhys for Kinnes
Louis Viljoen for Dangled
Lwanda Sindaphi for Kudu
Rehane Abrahams for Womb of Fire

Best new director

Gideon Lombard
Lesedi Job
Lwanda Sindaphi
Qondiswa James
Tinarie van Wyk Loots

Best theatre production for children and young people

Alice in Wonderland (Canal Walk)
Vlooi en die Musiekfabriek/Kipper and the Music Factory (Marinda Engelbrecht and Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck)

Best performance by an ensemble

The cast of Bal-oog en Brommel: Moord in Ixiastraat
The cast of Gertrude Stein and A Companion
The cast of Kinnes
The cast of Kudu
The cast of Sainthood

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

Daniel Mpilo Richards in Land Acts in Various Roles
Dorothy Ann Gould in The Year of Magical Thinking as Joan Didion
James Cairns in The Devil and Billy Markham in Various Roles
Rehane Abrahams in Womb of Fire in Various Roles
Rob van Vuuren in Dangled as Poprishchin

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

Cameron Seear in Matilda the Musical as Bruce
Conroy Scott in Calling Us Home as Ivan
Daniel Mpilo Richards in West Side Story as Bernardo
Desmond Dube in King Kong as Pop
Msizi Njapha in Tsotsi the Musical as Boston

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

Bethany Dickson in Matilda the Musical as Miss Honey
Claire Taylor in Matilda the Musical as Mrs Wormwood
Kgomotso Matsunyane in Tsotsi the Musical as Miriam
Nompumelelo Mayiyane in Matilda the Musical as Mrs Phelps
Thembisile Ntaka in Tsotsi the Musical as Adedola

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

Elton Landrew in Langarm as Eddie
Kevin Hack in West Side Story as Tony
Musanete Sakupwanya in Calling Us Home as Nelson
Mxolisi (Zuluboy) Majozi in Tsotsi the Musical as Tsotsi
Ryan de Villiers in Matilda the Musical as Miss Trunchbull

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

Carmen Pretorius in The Sound of Music as Maria Rainer
Kim Louis in Langarm as Dinah
Kitty Harris in Matilda the Musical as Matilda
Lynelle Kenned in Calling Us Home as Grace
Rushney Ferguson in Langarm as Angelina

Best puppetry design

Janni Younge & Craig Leo for the Baby in Tsotsi the Musical

Best lighting design

Craig Leo and Sara Matchett for Womb of Fire
Faheem Bardien for Ruth First: 117 Days
Gareth Hewitt Williams for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Hugh Vanstone for Matilda the Musical
Kobus Rossouw for Kinnes

Best set design

Chris Pienaar for Oleanna
Jemma Kahn and Kanya Viljoen for Swerfgoed
Michael Mitchell & Neil Coppen for Tsotsi the Musical
Rob Howell for Matilda the Musical
Saul Radomsky for The Road to Mecca

Best costume design

Andrea van der Kuil and Sue Steele for Curse of the Starving Class
Birrie le Roux for Endgame
Marcel Meyer for Sweet Bird of Youth
Noluthando Lobese Moropa for Tsotsi the Musical
Rob Howell for Matilda the Musical

Best sound design, original music composition or original score

Gertjie Besselen for Bal-oog en Brommel: Moord in Ixiastraat for Original Music
James Webb for The Demon Bride for Soundscape
Lukhanyiso Skosana for Womb of Fire for Original Music Performance
Marcel Bezuidenhout for Tsotsi the Musical for Sound Design
Simon Baker for Matilda the Musical for Sound Design

Best performance in an opera – male

Aubrey Lodewyk in Mandela Trilogy as Mandela 3
Bongani Kubheka in Don Pasquale as Don Pasquale
Lukhanyo Moyake in Mandela Trilogy as Justice
Lunga Hallam in Don Pasquale as Ernesto
Makudupanyane Senaoana in Maria Stuarda as Robert Leicester

Best performance in an opera – female

Brittany Smith in Der Fledermaus as Adele
Brittany Smith in Don Pasquale as Norina
Janelle Visagie in La Voix Humaine as Elle
Violina Anguelov in Maria Stuarda as Elisabetta
Vuvu Mpofu in Maria Stuarda as Maria Stuarda

Best performance by a supporting actor in a play

Antony Coleman in Curse of the Starving Class as Taylor
Richard September in Swerfgoed in Various Roles
Rob van Vuuren in Curse of the Starving Class as Ellis/Slater
Roberto Pombo in Curse of the Starving Class as Wesley Tate
Soli Philander in Endgame as Nagg

Best performance by a supporting actress in a play

Ann Juries in The Taming of the Shrew as Grumio
Antoinette Kellermann in Endgame as Nell
Emily Child in The Road to Mecca as Elsa Barlow
Lesoko Seabe in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time as Siobhan
Nicole Holm in Swerfgoed as Aegistha

Best performance by a lead actress in a play

Anna-Mart van der Merwe in Swerfgoed as Esta
Fiona Ramsay in Sweet Bird of Youth as Princess Kosmonopolis
Nicole Fortuin in Oleanna as Carol
Qondiswa James in A Faint Patch of Light as The Lover
Sandra Prinsloo in The Road to Mecca as Miss Helen

Best performance by a lead actor in a play

Alan Committie in Oleanna as John
Andrew Buckland in Endgame as Hamm
Kai Luke Brümmer in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time as Christopher Boone
Neil McCarthy in Curse of the Starving Class as Weston Tate
Rob van Vuuren in Endgame as Clov

Best director

Greg Karvellas for Oleanna
Sara Matchett for Womb of Fire
Sylvaine Strike for Curse of the Starving Class
Sylvaine Strike for Endgame
Tinarie van Wyk Loots for Swerfgoed

Best production

Endgame (Baxter Theatre and Derek Lubner)
Curse of the Starving Class (Baxter Theatre Centre and SU Woordfees)
Kudu (Baxter Theatre Centre and Magnet Theatre)
Matilda the Musical Musical (Pieter Toerien Productions and GWB Entertainment)
Womb of Fire (The Mothertongue Project)

Tickets for the ceremony are available at R250 per person. Bookings may be made at Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.com, at any Shoprite Checkers outlet as well as the Artscape Box Office (+27214109838) and Dial-a-Seat (+27214217695).

For more information on Fleur du Cap Wines, go to www.fleurducap.co.za