Press: 2014 Nominees for the prestigious 50th annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards announced

The nominees for the prestigious 50th annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, to be presented at a glamorous function on Sunday 15 March at 18:00 at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town, have been announced in Stellenbosch today.

“Five decades ago the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards started with only 6 categories and 17 productions that were eligible,” says Melanie Burke, chairperson of the adjudicating panel. She added that today awards are presented in 18 different categories and last year a total of 74 productions were eligible. In addition, 57 student performances were considered for the Most Promising Student Award.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards is a flagship arts and culture initiative of the Distell Foundation and a premier event on the South African social calendar. “This year we are celebrating the golden anniversary of the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards which presents us with an ideal opportunity to look back at its unique role in the growth of South African theatre,” says Irma Albers, Distell’s Arts and Culture Controller.

Chris Weare, a Fleur du Cap alumnus, will direct the awards ceremony and a unique event is planned to celebrate the successes of the past 50 years, including an entertainment line-up that will feature some of our top local artists.

The judges for 2014 productions were Africa Melane, Dr Beverley Brommert, Christine Moritz, Eugene Yiga, Gillian Mitchell, Herman van der Westhuizen, Jill Markram, Johan van Lill, Len Ashton, Mariana Malan, Marina Griebenow, Peter Tromp, Steyn du Toit and Tracey Saunders. Stephanie Klink completed a year-long internship in 2014 and has been accepted to join the panel of judges in 2015.

For a production to be eligible, a run of a minimum of eight performances over a period of three weeks at the same venue is required. Each award carries a cash prize of R15 000 and each award recipient is given a silver medallion. All voting processes are audited and overseen by the legal firm Cluver Markotter Inc.

The nominees (in alphabetical order) in the various categories (Name – Play – Role) are:

1. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY

Albert Pretorius for Playland as Gideon le Roux

Chris van Niekerk for 2092: God van Klank as Hernon Freytag

Jamie Bartlett for Death of a Colonialist as Harold Smith

Khayalethu Anthony for The Champion as Thulani

Matthew Marsh for A Human Being Died That Night as Eugéne de Kock

Noma Dumezweni and Matthew Marsh- A Human being Died That Night (pic: Jesse Kramer)

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Emily Child for The Pervert Laura as Laura

Janna Ramos-Violante for Constellations as Marianne

Mikkie-Dene le Roux for Grounded as The Pilot

Noma Dumezweni for A Human Being Died That Night as Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

Sandra Prinsloo for Oscar and the Pink Lady as various characters

Sandra Prinsloo - Oscar and the Pink Lady (Pic: P.Lombaard)

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Guy de Lancey for The Pervert Laura as Father

Mbulelo Grootboom for Playland as Marthinus Zoeloe

Phillip Tipo Tindisa for Fishers of Hope (Taweret) as John

Richard September for Rondomskrik as various characters

Tobie Cronjé for Vettie Vettie as Henry

Albert Pretorius and Mbulelo grootboom - Playland (pic: Jesse Kramer)

4. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Buhle Ngaba for Missing as Ayanda

Jennifer Steyn for The Tragedy of King Richard III as Queen Elizabeth

Kate Liquorish for The Tragedy of King Richard III as Lady Anne, 2nd Citizen and the Cardinal

Kensiwe Tshabalala for Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike as Cassandra

Lee-Ann van Rooi for Rondomskrik as various characters

5. BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET OR ONE-PERSON SHOW

Godfrey Johnson for Vaslav as Vaslav Nijinsky

Khayalethu Anthony for The Champion as Thulani

Lizz Meiring for Cheaper than Roses as Betty Fourie

Mikki-Dene le Roux for Grounded as The Pilot

Sandra Prinsloo for Oscar and the Pink Lady as various characters

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW

Daniel Richards for Fergus of Galloway as Fergus

Godfrey Johnson for Vaslav as Vaslav Nijinsky

James Borthwick for The Sound of Music as Max Detweiler

Jonathan Roxmouth for Call me Lee as Liberace

Sne Dladla for Fergus of Galloway as various characters

7. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW

Bethany Dickson for The Sound of Music as Maria Rainer

Carmen Pretorius for The Sound of Music as Liesl von Trapp

Janelle Visagie for The Sound of Music as Mother Abbess

Lucy Tops for Bar None as Betty

Taryn Sudding for The Sound of Music as Baroness Schreuder

8. AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT

David Viviers (UCT)

Dylan Owen (UCT)

Nathan Lynn (UCT)

Sive Gubangxa (UCT)

Skye Russel (UCT)

9. BEST DIRECTOR

Alan Swerdlow for Constellations

Jaco Bouwer for Balbesit

Lara Foot for Fishers of Hope (Taweret)

Marí Borstlap for 2092 : God van Klank

Tara Notcutt for ...miskien

10. BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Benever (Bennie) Arendse for Fishers of Hope (Taweret)

Daniel Galloway for A Human Being Died That Night (Original design: Tim Mitchell)

Guy de Lancey and Luke Ellenbogen for The Pervert Laura

Paule Constable for War Horse

Wolf Britz for Balbesit

11. BEST SET DESIGN

Albert Maritz for Playland

Marí Borstlap for 2092: God van Klank

Patrick Curtis for Fishers of Hope (Taweret)

Robert Jones for The Sound of Music

Saul Radomsky for The Shadow of the Hummingbird

The Shadow of the Hummingbird (pic: Jesse Kramer)

12. BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Jonathan Roxmouth for Call me Lee

Leigh Bishop for Slowly

Rae Smith for War Horse

Reza Levy for The Tragedy of King Richard III

Robert Jones for The Sound of Music

13. BEST SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSITION OR ORIGINAL SCORE

Braam du Toit for Balbesit – Original score

Godfrey Johnson for Vaslav – Original Music

Marí Borstlap for 2092: God van Klank – Soundscape, soundtrack

Motshepe Pusho Kwagane for Silent Voice – Percussionist (live)

Nceba Gongxeka for Fishers of Hope (Taweret) – Musician (live)

14. BEST PUPPETRY DESIGN

Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones for War Horse – Puppet design, fabrication and direction

Alida van Deventer for The Snow Goose – Puppet props

Jenine Collocott for The Snow Goose – Masks and puppet props

15. BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT

2092: God van Klank by Wilken Calitz

A Human Being Died That Night by Nicholas Wright

Death of a Colonialist by Greg Latter

The Kingmakers by Louis Viljoen

The Pervert Laura by Louis Viljoen

16. ROSALIE VAN DER GUCHT PRIZE FOR NEW DIRECTORS

Khayalethu Mofu for The Champion

Koleka Putuma for Uhm

Louis Viljoen for The Kingmakers and The Pervert Laura

Marí Borstlap for 2092: God van Klank

Thando Doni for Passage

The AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN THEATRE and the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Tickets for the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards ceremony to be held at the Artscape Opera House cost R200 per person via Computicket (0861 9158000) and 021 4217695 and include canapés and Fleur du Cap wines. Follow the awards on Twitter @FDCTheatreAward and on Facebook.

Press release provided by Allison Foat.