It’s that time of year when theatre awards for last year start hitting the headlines. The nominations for Gauteng’s 2013 Naledi Theatre Awards were announced yesterday.
During the announcement, Naledi’s founder and executive director, Dawn Lindberg, revealed three exciting new developments for Naledi.
To start off, a new award, for Best Emerging Voice, has been created in partnership with the Market Theatre and will be administered by the Market Theatre under the guidance of artistic director James Ngcobo.
Ngcobo said: “This award is a continuum of the Market Theatre Foundation’s commitment to recognise young talent and their emerging voices and put them in a space where there will be further mentoring and where they will gain access to people who understand how crucial it is to pass the baton to the next generation of storytellers.”
He said the net would be cast widely in order to find diverse offerings from South Africa’s young creatives. “We have decided to name the award after the great Sophie Mgcina who had a great passion for teaching and was also a prolific actress,” he said.
Naledi Theatre Awards has formed a new partnership with Assitej SA, who will administer the Best Production for Children category, now renamed Best Production For Young Audiences.
“Assitej SA has selected four judges who are experts in theatre for young people. They will work together with our special children’s panel of judges to expand this category to embrace the outstanding work being done by many new and exciting producers,” Lindberg said.
She added that Yvette Hardy, head of Assitej SA, was the recipient of last year’s executive director’s award for her innovative work in developing theatre for young audiences in South Africa.
The third development, Lindberg said, was an exciting partnership forged with the Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture, which would administer and expand another important aspect of the theatre industry – community theatre – through its initiative, the Ishashalazi Awards.
“They will use their own panel of outreach judges and the winner will be announced at our awards ceremony,” Lindberg said.
She also acknowledged the second year of major funding from Auto & General Insurance. Carl Louw, executive head of marketing for Auto & General Insurance, said: “We are very happy to expand our corporate social investment footprint into the arts sector. Not only do we sponsor the Naledi Theatre Awards, but we have also obtained naming rights for the Auto & General Theatre on the Square.”
Naledi Theatre Awards also thanked the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund for its assistance this year.
“This will enable us to give cash prizes to all the winners as well as film the entire event for television,” said Lindberg, who works closely with her board of directors comprising chairman Dali Tambo, Ismail Mahomed, artistic director of the National Festival of the Arts, and Welcome Msomi, chairman of the SA Film Board and a producer in his own right.
The panel of judges comprises Renos Spanoudos, Welcome Msomi, Peter Feldman, Carolyn Steyn, Dorianne Alexander, Laking Morgan, Ferosa Marais, Lance Maron, Mandla Moutau, Lali Dangazele, Rudi Sadler and Helen Heldenmuth.
Entertainment at the awards ceremony will feature artists from shows under review, including Judith Sephuma, Cito, Timothy Moloi, Zandile Mzanzi, Burnise Sylvius, Jonathan Rodrigues, Michael de Pinna, Biance la Grange and Angela Killian.
The MC is Lebo Mashile, and top celebrities and artists will present the awards.
The Naledi Theatre Awards ceremony for productions staged last year takes place at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City Casino on March 17. A selection of tickets is available to the public. Booking is at the theatre and tickets cost R200.
LIST OF NOMINATIONS FOR PRODUCTIONS STAGED IN 2013
BEST SET DESIGN:
Denis Hutchinson for Sunset Boulevard
Hennie van Greunen for The Sewing Machine
Nadya Cohen for Nongogo
Patrick Curtis for Mies Julie
Sarah Roberts for Race
Wilhelm Disbergen for The Mountaintop
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN:
Alexander Farmer for Soil
Denis Hutchinson for Sunset Boulevard
Mari Borstlap for Rainbow Scar
Tina Le Roux for Venus In Fur
Wesley France for Nongogo
Wilhelm Disbergen for Silent Voice
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Greg Viljoen for The Last Moustache
Nadya Cohen for Nongogo
Penny Simpson for Sunset Boulevard
Sarah Roberts for Starlight Express
Steven Stead for Venus In Fur
BEST COMMUNITY THEATRE: Ishashalazi, Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture
Apprehension
Innocent Yet Guilty
Mother & Child
Nomzano
Simunye
The Book of Siyonqoba
BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES:
Aristocats, directed by Jill Girard and Keith Smith
Honk Jr, directed by Francois Theron
The Frog Prince and Other Fabulous Tales, directed by Jill Girard and Keith Smith
People’s Theatre
The Secret Garden, directed by Francois Theron
BEST NEWCOMER/BREAKTHROUGH:
Faith Busik in Through Positive Eyes
Joanna Abatzoglou in Starlight Express
Kertrice Maitisa in Rainbow Scars
Khayalethu Anthony in Solomon & Marion
Marike Smith in The Secret Garden
Taryn Papadopoulous Louch in Meze, Mira and Make-Up
BEST EMERGING VOICE AWARD:
Thando Lobese – designer (set and costume)
Jeffrey Tshabalala – writer and director
Lulu Mlangeni – dancer and choreographer
Thando Doni – writer and director
BEST SCORE/ARRANGEMENT/ADAPTATION:
Alistair Izobell and David Kramer for Blood Brothers
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for Rainbow Scars
Daniel and Matthew Pencer for Mies Julie
Matthew MacFarlane for Hayani
Motshepe Pusho Kgawane for Silent Voice
Nik Sakellarides for Soil
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR:
Bryan Schimmel and Rowan Bakker for Jersey Boys
Clinton Zerf for Starlight Express
Louis Zurnamer for Sunset Boulevard
Machiel Roets for Liefling
Roelof Colyn for Aladdin
BEST ENSEMBLE/CUTTING EDGE:
Asinamali! directed by Prince Lamla
Balbesit, directed by Jaco Bouwer
Hayani, directed by Warren Nebe
Silent Voice, directed by Aubrey Sekhabi
The Epicene Butcher & Other Stories for Consenting Adults, directed by John Trengove
Through Positive Eyes, directed by Warren Nebe
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY/MUSICAL:
Andrea Frankson in Blood Brothers
Bethany Dickson in Sunset Boulevard
Brenda Sakellarides in Cry Havoc
Jaci de Villiers in An Unromantic Comedy
Nondumiso Tembe in Race
Thoko Ntshinga in Mies Julie
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY/MUSICAL:
Desmond Dube in Nongogo
Daniel Buys in Jersey Boys
Graham Hopkins in Race
Kenneth Meyer in Jersey Boys
Hlomla Dandala in Race
Mbulelo Grootboom in Rainbow Scars
BEST DIRECTOR:
Aubrey Sekhabi in Silent Voice
Clare Mortimer in Race
Lara Bye in Rainbow Scars
Paul Warwick Griffin in Sunset Boulevard
Warona Seane in The Mountaintop
Yael Farber in Mies Julie
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL: FEMALE:
Angela Kilian in Sunset Boulevard
Bianca le Grange in Blood Brothers
Carly Graeme in Starlight Express
Taryn Sudding in Sunset Boulevard
Ziyanda Yako in Starlight Express
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL: MALE:
James Borthwick in Sunset Boulevard
Bongi Mthombeni in Starlight Express
Jonathan Roxmouth in Sunset Boulevard
Elton Landrew in Blood Brothers
Emmanuel Castis in Jersey Boys
Grant Almirall in Jersey Boys
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: FEMALE
Brenda Sakellarides in Soil
Hilda Cronje in Mies Julie
Janna Ramos-Violante in Venus In Fur
Mwenya Kabwe in The Mountaintop
Patricia Boyer in The Testament of Mary
Sandra Prinsloo in The Sewing Machine
Vinette Ebrahim in My Name Is Ellen Pakkies
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: MALE
Atandwa Kani in Hayani
Bongile Mantsai in Mies Julie
Christo Davids in My Name Is Ellen Pakkies
James Cairns in Dirt
Mbongeni Ngema in The Zulu
Nat Ramabulana in Hayani
Sello Sebotsane in The Mountaintop
BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT:
Atandwa Kani and Nat Ramabulana for Hayani
Lara Foot for Solomon & Marion
Lizz Meiring for My Name Is Ellen Pakkies
Mbongeni Ngema for The Zulu
Nick Warren for Dirt
Renos Spanoudes in Soil
Rosalind Butler in An Unromantic Comedy
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Mies Julie, directed by Yael Farber
My Name Is Ellen Pakkies, directed Lizz Meiring
Race, directed by Clare Mortimer
Rainbow Scars, directed by Lara Bye
Silent Voice, directed by Aubrey Sekhabi
Soil, directed by Lynne Maree
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Aladdin, written and directed by Janice Honeyman
Blood Brothers, adapted and directed by David Kramer
Jersey Boys, by resident director Anton Luitingh.
Liefling, directed by Deon Opperman
Starlight Express, directed by Janice Honeyman
Sunset Boulevard, directed by Paul Warwick Griffin
An Executive Directors’ and Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced on the night.