Sweeping the boards with seven Naledi Awards is the musical “The Color Purple”. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, follows with 3 awards. The brand new South African play “Shoes and Coups” gets the nod with 2 awards, as does the children’s theatre piece “Goggas”.
Founder and CEO of the Naledi Theatre Awards, Dawn Lindberg, on behalf of the Judges and Board of the Naledi's, congratulates all the winners, nominees and theatre practitioners for an exceptional year of entertainment and dedication to the craft.
“However, we are constantly devastated by the lack of financial support given to theatre in general and the Naledi's in particular by the Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and television Channels such as KykNet, Mzansi Magic and the SABC.”
She said. “Almost everyone involved in producing, creating and staging the Naledis this year worked for no remuneration. We are profoundly grateful to the Joburg Theatre, Splitbeam Technical and Visual Frontiers as well as the presenters and entertainers who all felt honoured to be part of the celebration of excellence within their own ranks."
The Winners of the 15th Annual Naledi Theatre awards are:
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Heidi Mollentze as “Rona”
The Revlon Girl
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sipho Zakwe
Shoes & Coups
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES (SUPPORTED BY ASSITEJ SA) (0 – 13)
GOGGAS!
Prod. by National Children's Theatre, Written by Gillian Katz adapted by Francois Theron, Dir. by Jade Bowers
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES (supported by ASSITEJ SA) (14 - 17)
POLKADOTS
Prod. by Redhill School in partnership with &CO, Dir. by Shelley Adriaanzen
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES (Supported by ASSITEJ SA)
Jaques De Silva as “as Antic the Ant”
Goggas!
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Ryan de Villiers as "Miss Trunchbull"
Roald Dahl's Matilda
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer
MACBETH
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Gareth Hewitt Williams
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
BEST AV/ANIMATION DESIGN
Gareth Hewitt Williams
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
BEST SET DESIGN
Stan Knight
Fool for Love
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Ntuthuko Mbuyazi
Florence
BEST SCORE / ARRANGEMENT / ADAPTATION
Kabelo “Bonafide” Togoe & Aubrey Sekhabi
FREEDOM
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Rowan Bakker
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST ENSEMBLE
HANI: The legacy
Prod. by The Market Theatre Laboratory, Created by Graduates of The Market Theatre Laboratory, Dir. by Leila Henriques
BEST ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY
Oscar Buthelezi
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL / REVUE
Janice Honeyman
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Charmaine Weir-Smith
The Train Driver
BEST SUPPORTING/FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL/REVUE: FEMALE
Lelo Ramasimong as " Shug Avery"
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST SUPPORTING/FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL/REVUE: MALE
Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as “Harpo”
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (FEMALE)
Didintle Khunou as “Celie”
THE COLOR PURPLE
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (MALE)
Paul du Toit as “Hedwig”
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (FEMALE)
Zikhona Sodlaka as “Queenie”
NONGOGO
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (MALE)
Kai Luke Brummer as “Christopher Boone”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SOLO PRODUCTION: FEMALE/MALE
Daniel Mpilo Richards
Land Acts
BEST NEW SA SCRIPT
Shoes & Coups
Prod. by The Market Theatre Written & Dir. by Palesa Mazamisa,
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Tshepang: The Third Testament
Prod. by Joburg Theatre, Written & Dir. by Lara Foot
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
THE COLOR PURPLE
Prod. by Joburg Theatre & Bernard Jay, Dir. by Janice Honeyman