DTA WINNERS 2008-2009

The Mercury Durban Theatre Awards 2008-2009 awardees.

This evening saw the seventh Durban Theatre Awards, a glitzy elegant evening presented before a live audience which comprised members of the public as well as the who’s who of the Durban entertainment industry.

Maintaining their position as the top production company in Durban was Kickstart who swept the board once again with winners in virtually all categories, asserting the high standard that this company continues to produce.

Wit won Poster Design for Shirley Berko, Lighting Design for Tina le Roux, Supporting Actress (Drama) for Olivia Borgen; Lead Actress (Drama) for Clare Mortimer; Director (Drama) for Steven Stead and the Drama Production award.

KickstArt’s Little Shop of Horrors won Sound Design for Megan Levy; Costume Design for Terrence Bray; Set Design for Greg King; New Performer – Female for Londiwe Dhlomo; Choreography for Janine Bennewith; Supporting Actress (Musical Theatre) for Pume Zondi, Lead Actress and Lead Actor (Musical Theatre) for Lisa Bobbert and Bryan Hiles respectively, Director of Musical Theatre for Steven Stead and the Musical Theatre Production award.

In the Children’s Theatre category, Kickstart’s Cinderella won Supporting Actress for Shelley McLean; Lead Actress and Actor for Janna Ramos-Violante and Bryan Hiles respectively; the Director award for Steven Stead, and the Production award.

Farai Gwaze won the New Performer – Male for Othello, with Iain Robinson winning the Supporting Actor (Drama) award for the same production. Neil Coppen won the New South African Script award for Tree Boy.

In the category of Musical Theatre & Music Revue / Music Compilation / Cabaret, Lauren Laing won the Performer award for Sing it Sista with Lucky Simayile receiving the Supporting Actor award for Madame President Musical. Henry Faca Kulu won Musical Director for Native Blues with Sue Clarence Promotions winning the Music Revue Production award for Let’s Misbehave.

Themi Venturas’s production of Shear Madness at the Catalina won Performance in a Comedy by a Female and a Male for Daisy Spencer and Marc Kay respectively while Themi Venturas won the Special Judges Award for his contribution to the performing arts in Durban over the years.

Bheki Mkhwane won the prestigious Lead Actor Award (Drama) for uThemba lethu.

The Mercury Theatre Personality of the Year Award went to Liesl Coppin and the first Monica Fairall Memorial Award, produced independently and hosted by the Durban Theatre Awards, went to arts administrator Peter Taylor.

Ben Voss was a splendid MC as his inimitable character Beauty Ramapelepele, having to handle the entire evening on his own when co-presenter Nothando Ngubane had to withdraw at the last minute because of ill-health.