Prestigious 50th Annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards Announces Nominees of the 2014 Season

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 the various categories 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

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

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

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

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 and on Facebook.

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