Big plans for Naledi Theatre Awards

Published Mar 4, 2014

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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.

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