17th Naledi Theatre Awards nominees announced

“This year we are happy to announce three new categories to the mix,” said Dawn Lindberg, founder and CEO of the Naledis. “These are: Best Production for Independent/Fringe Theatre, Best Contemporary Dance/Ballet Production and Best Production Tertiary/Incubator Theatre. The addition of the new categories was inspired by the incredible quality and calibre of these exciting genres over the last five years and the Naledi executive felt that it is important to celebrate the excellence in these fields as well as the more conventional genres of plays and musicals. We have also decided to include tertiary and incubator productions, as often these are the theatre makers to watch for the future.”

“This year, the Naledis fielded 50 judges, all from or associated with the industry, who were divided into six panels best suited to their fields of expertise,” said Renos Spanoudes, chairperson of the judging panels. “Between them Naledi judges saw more than 100 productions. They were tasked with ensuring the eligibility of each of the productions under scrutiny and to ensure that these productions adhered to the criteria as laid down in the rules.”

“We judge productions against a set of criteria that we re-examine every year and adjust, if necessary, to ensure that the Naledis remain up to date with the ever changing and dynamic theatrical landscape that shapes our industry,” said Lihan Pretorius, executive director/legal of the Naledis.

“2019 again proved to be an exceptional year for theatre in South Africa,” said Kgomotso Christopher, chairperson of the Naledis. “We are seeing some really amazing, groundbreaking and uniquely South African work across all genres – which is being watched by an increasingly diverse and emerging theatre audience. What is heartening to see is that whilst the traditional theatre audiences may be diminishing in some areas, we are seeing a growing and very discerning young audience enjoying live theatre, and this is what will keep theatre alive in South Africa,” said Christopher, herself an award-winning television and stage actress.

Lindberg concluded: “I would also like to assure the theatre community that we are doing all we can to host the awards ceremony live on the Nelson Mandela Stage at The Joburg Theatre. We firmly believe that after the difficult times theatre has faced this year, we need to celebrate our wonderful Industry of which we are all so passionate. As soon as we are able to after the lockdown we will announce the new dates, tentatively set for June.”

The nominations for the 2019 Naledi Theatre Awards are:

Best Production of A Musical

Angola Camp 13 - (Prod. The State Theatre in assoc. with Manti Makhulu)
Aunty Merle the Musical - (Prod. Anwar Mc Kay and Marc Lottering)
Chicago - (Prod. Showtime Management in assoc. with Barry& Fran – Weissler and David Ian)
Forever Plaid - (Prod. VR Theatrical)
Into the Woods - (Prod. Pieter Toerien and Kickstart)
Rock of Ages - (Prod. Montecasino in assoc. with VR Theatrical)

Best Production of A Play

Equus - (Prod. Pieter Toerien)
Gertrude Stein and a Companion (Prod. Daphne Kuhn and Authentik)
Metamorphosis - (Prod. UJ Arts and Culture)
Pockets of Knowledge - (Prod. The Soweto Theatre)
The Fisherman - (Prod. The Market Theatre)
Xova - (Prod.The State Theatre in assoc. Ozone Felaz)

Best New South African Script

Currently (G)old - (Written/developed by the Kwasha Company)
Ekasi Lam’ - (Written by Jefferson Tshabalala)
Strange Land - (Written by Prof Anton Krueger)
Van Wyk: The Storyteller of Riverlea (Written by Zane Meas)
Venus vs Modernity - (Written by Lebo Mashile)
Xova - (Written by Joseph Komani)

Best Contemporary Dance/Ballet Production

Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero - (Prod. The Joburg Theatre and Vuyani Dance Theatre)
Exit/Exist - (Prod. Vuyani Dance Theatre and The Market Theatre)
Giselle - (Prod. Joburg Ballet)
I am Simon - (Prod. Thami Tshabalala in assoc with The State Theatre)
Unbound: I think therefore I am,
Wakanda, Transcendence,
The Angel Trilogy - (Prod. Joburg Ballet)

Best Production For Independent/Fringe Theatre

Born Naked - (Prod. POPart Theatre in collab. With Hijinks Theatre and ZikkaZimba Productions)
Cottonwool Kid - (Prod. POPart Theatre)
Dick or Date - (Prod. MoMo Matsunyane Productions)
No Easter Sunday for Queers - (Prod. The National Arts Festival and The Market Theatre)
Unlearn - (Prod. MoMo Matsunyane Productions)

Best Production Tertiary/Incubator Theatre

Eclipsed - (Prod. The Market Theatre)
Frontières - (Prod. The Market Theatre and The Dept Arts and Culture Incubation)
Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Metaphors - (Prod. Prof. Marié-Heleen Coetzee and UP Drama)
Nailed - (Prod. The Market Theatre and The Dept Arts and Culture Incubation)
Rhinoceros - (Prod. Kwasha! Theatre Company supported by The Market Theatre Lab. Windybow Arts Centre, The French Institute of SA, Mazars by Arr Samuel French)

Best Lead Performance In A Musical: Female

Carmen Pretorius as Roxie Hart - (Chicago)
Jessica Sole as The Baker’s Wife - (Into the Woods)
Kate Normington as The Witch - (Into the Woods)
Phethile Sibanyoni as Sizwe Manzine - (Angola Camp 13)
Samantha Peo as Velma Kelly - (Chicago)

Best Lead Performance In A Musical: Male

Earl Gregory as The Baker - (Into the Woods)
Josh Ansley as Drew - (Rock of Ages)
Marc Lottering as Aunty Merle - (Aunty Merle the Musical)
Musanete Sakupwanya as Cat in the Hat - (Seussical)
Soyiso Ndaba as Majoro Mnisi - (Angola Camp 13)

Best Lead Peformance In A Play: Female

Charmaine Mtinta as Zukiswa - (Xova)
Dorothy Ann Gould as The Mother - (Family Secrets)
Lebo Mashile as Saartjie - (Venus vs Modernity)
Lynita Crofford as Alice B Toklas - (Gertrude Stein and a Companion)
Shirley Johnston as Getrude Stein - (Gertrude Stein and a Companion)

Best Lead Performance In A Play: Male

Graham Hopkins as Dr Martin Dysart - (Equus)
Siyabonga Thwala as Obembe - (The Fisherman)
Sven Ruygrok as Alan Strang - (Equus)
Warren Masemola as Ben - (The Fisherman)
William Harding as Gregor/Beetle - (Metamorphosis)

Best Featured/Supporting Actress In A Play

Ameera Patel as the Sister - (Metamorphosis)
Khutjo Green as the Mother - (Metamorphosis)
Nondumiso Mabuza as Themba - (Xova)
Nonhlahla Dube as Lady in White - (Xova)
Zimkhita Nyoka as Thozama - (Xova)

Best Featured/Supporting Actor In A Play

Craig Morris as the Father - (Metamorphosis)
Matthew Lotter as Christopher Wren - (The Mousetrap)
Sello Sebotsane as Oompie Tselapedi - (Call us Crazy)
Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as Mr M - (My Children my Africa)
Zolani Shangase as Thami - (My Children my Africa)

Best Featured/Supporting Actress In A Musical

Lois du Plessis as Justice - (Rock of Ages)
Marlee van der Merwe as Ursula Koekemoer - (Aspoestertjie)
Noni Mkhonto as Henrietta Hen - (Jack and the Beanstalk)
Siyasanga Papu as Michael/Mama - (Santa Clause is coming to town)
Tankiso Mamabolo as Lydia - (Aunty Merle the Musical)

Best Featured/Supporting Actor In A Musical

Anzio September as Carl - (Aunty Merle the Musical)
Craig Urbani as Dennis - (Rock of Ages)
Grant Towers as Amos - (Chicago)
Loukmaan Adams as Denver - (Aunty Merle the Musical)
Matthew Counihan as Franz - (Rock of Ages)
Zak Hendrikz as the Prince/Wolf - (Into the Woods)

Best Breakthrough Performance

Abongile Matyutyu as John Motokolo - (Angola Camp 13)
Anele Nene as Malusi - (Pockets of Knowledge)
Ann Masina as Venus - (Venus vs Modernity)
Menzi Mkhwene as Sihle - (Pockets of Knowledge)
Jessica Wolhuter as Young Tracy - (Brutal Legacy)

Best Ensemble

Angola Camp 13 - (Prod. The State Theatre in assoc. with Manti Makhulu)
Currently (G)old - (Presented by the Kwasha Company in assoc. with the Market Theatre Lab and Windybrow Arts Centre)
Into the Woods - (Prod. Pieter Toerien and Kickstart)
Shakespeare’s R&J - (Abrahamse and Meyer Productions)
Woza Albert! - (Prod.The State Theatre in assoc. with The Playhouse Company)

Best Solo Performance In A Production Male/Female

Ben Pienaar as Karl - (Net – Deurnis)
Billy Langa as Narrator - (Tshwalo)
Ignatius van Heerden as Performance Artist - (Droom – Deurnis)
Pieter-Dirk Uys as Himself and various alter egos - (#HETWO)
Renos Nicos Spanoudes as Dimitri Tsafendas - (Strange Land)
Zane Meas as Chris van Wyk - (Van Wyk: The Storyteller of - Riverlea)

Best Production For Children And Young Audiences (0-15) Supported By Assitej SA

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - (Prod. by National Children’s Theatre)
Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat - (Prod. by National Children’s Theatre)
Seussical Jr. - (Prod.by People’s Theatre)
Tiny the Tokoloshe & Other African Tales - (Prod. by VR Theatrical @ Pieter Toerien’s Studio Theatre)
Three Little Pigs - (Prod. by Pretoria Youth Theatre)

Best Performance In A Production For Young Audiences (Male/Female)
(Supported By Assitej SA)

Jaques de Silva as The Cat in the Hat - (The Cat in the Hat)
Jay Hlatshwayo as Duck - (Duck for President)
Roberto Pombo as Willy Wonka and Narrator - (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Tumelo Kope-Baloyi (Teekay) as Genie - (Aladdin)
Thokozani Jiyane as Marty the Zebra - (Madagascar, A Musical Adventure Jr)

Best Director of A Play

Alby Michaels - Metamorphosis
Fred Abrahamse - Equus
James Ngcobo - The Fisherman
Joseph Komani - Xova
Pamela Nomvete and Koleka Putuma - Venus vs Modernity
Matthew Counihan - My Children my Africa

Best Director of A Musical

Jaco van Rensburg - Forever Plaid
Neels Clasen - Aspoestertjie
Sello Amos Maseko - Angola Camp 13
Steven Stead - Into the Woods
Timothy le Roux and Elizma Badenhorst - Rock of Ages

Best Musical Director

Bryan Schimmel - Chicago
Cromwell Modise Modungwa - Angola Camp 13
Drew Bakker - Into the Woods
Wessel Odendaal - Forever Plaid
Wessel Odendaal - Rock of Ages

Best Choreography in A Play or A Musical

Craig Morris - Metamorphosis
Grant Van Ster - Aunty Merle the Musical
Mduduzi Vincent Nhlapo - Angola Camp 13
Mpho Maifadi - Xova
Sinenhlahla Mgeyi and Aalujah Zamm Matinela - Currently (G)old

Best Original Score/Arrangement/Adaptation

Clint Lesch - Aida Abridged
Cromwell Modise Modungwa - Angola Camp 13
Nebo Mafabatho - Xova
Tarryn Lamb and Marc Lottering - Aunty Merle the Musical
Kholofelo Sewela and Major Mockery - Venus vs Modernity

Best Theatre Set Design

Fred Abrahamse - Shakespeare’s R&J
Greg King - Into the Woods
Nthabiseng Malaka - Strange Land
Sheldon Marema - Xova
Second-year Faculty Arts FADA mentored by Sarah Roberts - Metamorphosis

Best Costume/Props Design

Koketso Kekana - Xova
Marcel Meyer - Shakespeare’s R&J
Marcel Meyer - Equu
Neil Stuart Harris - Into the Woods
UJ Design Academy - Metamorphosis

Best Lighting Design/Animations

Fred Abrahamse - Equus
Mbongeni Clement Mabila - Angola Camp 13
Oliver Hauser - Metamorphosis
Tina le Roux - Into the Woods
Wandile Mgcodo - Xova

Best Sound Design/Soundscape

Blessing Jiyane - Angola Camp 13
Kholofela Sewela - The Lion and the Lamb
Mark Malherbe - Into the Woods
Nebo Mafabatho - Xova
Yogin Sullapen - Strange Land