Winners of the 53rd Annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards Announced

For more than five decades the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards together with Fleur du Cap Wines have been honouring excellence in theatre, at this theatrical spectacular that is a highlight of the Mother City's cultural calendar.

Winners are chosen from productions performed at professional theatre venues in and around Cape Town. Theatre practitioners are recognised for their acting, directing, staging and technical abilities. Category winners received R15 000 and a medallion.

A total of 115 productions from the year under review were eligible for consideration. The awards, considered in 26 different categories, include special awards for Lifetime Achievement which went to Alvon Collison, and the Award for Innovation in Theatre was shared by Imbewu Trust and Kunste Onbeperk.

The event was hosted in fabulous fashion by Africa Melane who was supported by a variety of leading ladies who have previously been acknowledge on our stages and have the coveted Fleur du Cap Theatre Award; Lara Foot, Janice Honeyman, Liz Mills, Quanita Adams, Jill Levenberg, Susan Danford, Jennifer Steyn, Celeste Matthews, Sive Gubangxa, Penny Youngleson, Ntomboxolo Makhutshi, Emily Child, Tara-Louise Notcutt and Daneel van der Walt. The glamorous audience included theatre-makers, producers, actors, past award recipients, dignitaries and Fleur du Cap wine brand ambassadors.

The award ceremony was directed by Alistair Izobell and audiences thoroughly enjoyed the seamlessly crafted celebration that included outstanding performances by female artists Elwira Standili, Salomé Damon, Sasha-Lee Davids, Lucy Tops, Andrea Anthony, Tye Platinum and the band Sweet Chilli. Assistant Director and choreographer Grant van Ster provided the accompanying flair with performances by dancers Luke de Kock, Craig Pedro, Elvis Sibeko, Buyile Narwele, Mikayla Isaacs, SimonéWelgemoed, Gabrielle Botha and Caitlin Smith.

Five MakuAsh Residency students from Makukhanye Art Room, as part of their training supported the backstage team and in the process received valuable experience.

The evening concluded in elegant style with guests enjoying a celebratory night cap and desserts.

The judges for the 2017 productions were Africa Melane, Dr Beverley Brommert, Eugene Yiga, Johan van Lill, Marina Griebenow, Maurice Carpede, Niel Roux, Tracey Saunders and Wayne Muller. The panel, made up largely of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators, was chaired by non-voting Melanie Burke. Voting is done by secret ballot, and all processes are strictly overseen and audited by Distell Internal Audit and the legal firm Cluver Markotter Inc.

The full list of winners is as follows:

AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT - Luntu Masiza, AFDA

BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT - What Remains by Nadia Davids

BEST NEW DIRECTOR - Nico Scheepers

BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE - Jon Keevy for The Underground Library

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE - The Cast of What Remains

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET OR ONE-PERSON SHOW - Gideon Lombard in Die Reuk van Appels as Marnus

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW - Sanda Shandu in King Kong as Lucky

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW - Isabella Jane in Evita as The Mistress

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW - David Dennis in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Bernadette

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW - Edith Plaatjies in King Kong as Joyce

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN - Wilhelm Disbergen for What Remains

BEST SET DESIGN - Greg King for Suddenly the Storm

BEST COSTUME DESIGN - Leigh Bishop and Lieze van Tonder for Twelfth Night

BEST SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSITION OR ORIGINAL SCORE - Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for Original Music Composition (additional) for King Kong

BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA - MALE - Lukhanyo Moyake in Rigoletto as The Duke of Mantua

BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA - FEMALE - Johanni van Oostrum in Der Fliegende Holländer as Senta

AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN THEATRE - Imbewu Trust & Kunste Onbeperk

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Alvon Collison

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY - Mark Elderkin in Twelfth Night as Malvolio

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY - Robyn Scott in Shakespeare in Love as Elizabeth I, Ensemble

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY - Faniswa Yisa in What Remains as The Archeologist

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY - Craig Morris in Tartuffe as Tartuffe/Madame Pernelle

BEST DIRECTOR - Jay Pather for What Remains

BEST PRODUCTION - Marat/Sade - The Baxter Theatre (Nicolette Moses)

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are sponsored by the Fleur du Cap wine brand (www.fleurducap.co.za/). At inception in 1965, the awards were known as the Three Leaf Awards, becoming the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards in 1978 to celebrate one of Distell's leading wine brands.

The panel of judges, chaired by a non-voting chairperson, is made up largely of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators. Fleur du Cap - one of South Africa's premier and best-known wines is a flagship brand in the Distell Group (www.distell.co.za). The dedication of a devoted team at Die Bergkelder creates a range of diverse wines. The Fleur du Cap approach is unconstrained. Using only meticulously selected grapes from the finest vineyards from across the Cape Winelands, we produce a range of wines that offer the diversity of choice and diversity of taste.

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