THE MERCURY DURBAN THEATRE AWARDS

Nominations are out for Durban’s Oscars Night. (Report by Billy Suter, courtesy of the Mercury)

It took a long night of heavy debate and a special mention by the judges of the high standard of productions seen in Durban this year, but nominations for the 10th Mercury Durban Theatre Awards have now been finalised. The awards evening will take place on December 3 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre

Once again, the who’s who of the local theatre scene will be present, honoured and applauded as the awards pay tribute to the most outstanding theatre achievements between October 1 last year and September 30 this year. These productions include the genres of drama and comedy, musical theatre, music revue and music compilation, cabaret and children’s theatre. Thirty-two shows are vying for honours at this year’s awards ceremony.

“The Mercury Durban Theatre Awards recognise and acknowledge the quality of work produced in Durban in a given year. This work is maintained at a consistently high standard,” says awards administrator Peter Taylor. Herewith all the nominations for 2012, as confirmed by the theatre awards judging panel. This year’s judges are Stavros Anthias, Christa Biyela, Musa Hlatshwayo, Glynis Horning, Deborah Lutge, Sally Scott, Caroline Smart, Billy Suter, Jean van Elden and Janet Whelan.

POSTER DESIGN: ArtWorks Communications: Cinderella; Shirley Berko: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Shirley Berko: Red; Shirley Berko: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

SOUND DESIGN: Megan Levy: Abbamaniacs; Megan Levy: Alice in Wonderland; Megan Levy: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Trevor Peters: Cinderella

LIGHTING DESIGN: Dylan Heaton: Cinderella; Tina le Roux: Abnormal Loads; Tina le Roux: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Tina le Roux: Red; Tina le Roux: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Mannie Manim: Race

COSTUME DESIGN: Keith Anderson: Cinderella; Janine Bennewith: Burlesque; Neil Coppen and Julia Wilson: Abnormal Loads; Kevin Ellis and Gareth Greaves: Alice in Wonderland; Greg King: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Steven Stead: Don’t Dress for Dinner

SET DESIGN: Keith Anderson: Cinderella; Neil Coppen: Abnormal Loads; Greg King: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Greg King: Red; Greg King: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Sarah Roberts: Race

NEW PERFORMER – FEMALE: Fortunate Dhlomo: Abnormal Loads; Georgina Mabbett: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

NEW PERFORMER – MALE: Wiseman Mncube: Meet Bra 6-2

CHILDREN’S THEATRE:

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Belinda Henwood: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Rory Booth: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Lyle Buxton: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Bryan Hiles: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

LEAD ACTRESS: Shika Budhoo: i-Puppeti; Shona Johnson: Animal Tales; Georgina Mabbett: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Mpume Mthombeni: i-Puppeti

LEAD ACTOR: Peter Court: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Clinton Small: Dr Pocket’s Ocean Commotion; Jacobus van Heerden: Dr Pocket’s Ocean Commotion

DIRECTOR: Clinton Small and Jacobus van Heerden: Dr Pocket’s Ocean Commotion; Steven Stead: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

PRODUCTION: Dr Pocket’s Ocean Commotion: Neon Anthems; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: KickstArt

MUSICAL THEATRE & MUSIC REVUE/MUSIC COMPILATION/CABARET

CHOREOGRAPHY: Janine Bennewith: Burlesque; Janine Bennewith: How to Catch a Cougar; Janine Bennewith: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; David Gouldie: Cinderella

PERFORMER: MUSIC REVUE/MUSIC COMPILATION/CABARET: Rory Booth: How to Catch a Cougar; Liesl Coppin: Burlesque; Liesl Coppin: How to Catch a Cougar; Thomie Holtzhausen: Alice in Wonderland; Lauren Laing: Burlesque; Marion Loudon: Burlesque

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: MUSICAL THEATRE: Lisa Bobbert: Abbamaniacs; Lisa Bobbert: Cinderella; Lauren Dasappa: Cinderella; Marion Loudon: Abbamaniacs; Marion Loudon: Cinderella; Clare Mortimer: Cinderella; Krystle Temmerman: Cinderella

SUPPORTING ACTOR: MUSICAL THEATRE: Sean de Klerk: Abbamaniacs; Darren King: Cinderella; Jacobus van Heerden: Abbamaniacs; Cobus Venter: Cinderella

LEAD ACTRESS: MUSICAL THEATRE: Samkelisiwe Hlope: Just For You; Nondumiso Tembe: Cinderella

LEAD ACTOR: MUSICAL THEATRE: Aaron McIlroy: Abbamanics; Boy Ngema: Just For You; Ryan Flynn: Cinderella

MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Shem Mahabeer: How to Catch a Cougar; Evan Roberts and Charon Williams-Ros: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Anthony Stonier: Alice in Wonderland

DIRECTOR: Janine Bennewith: Burlesque; Aaron McIlroy: Abbamaniacs; Darren King: Alice in Wonderland; Ralph Lawson: Cinderella; Charon Williams-Ros: How to Catch a Cougar

MUSIC REVUE PRODUCTION: Alice in Wonderland: Sue Clarence Promotions; Burlesque: Gary McKenzie; How to Catch a Cougar: Gary McKenzie

MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: Abbamaniacs: MacBob; Productions; Cinderella: The Playhouse Company

DRAMA/COMEDY

SCRIPT: Neil Coppen: Abnormal Loads; Marc Kay: Birdman; Darren King: Alice in Wonderland; Menzi Mkhwane and Sabelo Ndlovu: Pockets of Knowledge; Steven Stead: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Fortunate Dhlomo: Abnormal Loads; Jailoshini Naidoo: Don’t Dress for Dinner

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Nhlakanipho Manqele: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Jeremy Richard: Red; Mthokozisi Zulu: Boesman and Lena

COMEDIC PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE: Clare Mortimer: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Janna Ramos-Violante: Don’t Dress for Dinner

COMEDIC PERFORMANCE (MALE): Adam Dore: The Compleat Wrks of Shkspr; Bryan Hiles: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Aaron McIlroy: Aaron McIlroy @ Work; Aaron McIlroy: The Loser; Tim Wells: Don’t Dress for Dinner

SOLO PERFORMANCE: Adam Dore: Birdman; Aaron McIlroy: Aaron McIlroy @ Work; Aaron McIlroy: The Loser

LEAD ACTRESS: Alison Cassels: Abnormal Loads; Jenna Dunster: Abnormal Loads; Belinda Henwood: Race; Clare Mortimer: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Janna Ramos-Violante: Don’t Dress for Dinner

LEAD ACTOR: Bryan Hiles: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Ralph Lawson: Race; Mothusi Magano: Abnormal Loads; Michael Richard: Race; Michael Richard: Red; Tim Wells: Don’t Dress for Dinner

DIRECTOR: Neil Coppen and Janna Ramos-Violante: Abnormal Loads; Clare Mortimer: Race; Steven Stead: Don’t Dress for Dinner; Steven Stead: Red

PRODUCTION: Abnormal Loads: ThinkTheatre in association with The Playhouse Company; Don’t Dress for Dinner: KickstArt; Race: The Playhouse Company; Red: KickstArt

THE MERCURY THEATRE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD: Janine Bennewith, Neil Coppen, Bryan Hiles, Faca Kulu, Marion Loudon, Mpume Mthombeni, Janna Ramos-Violante, Clinton Small, Daisy Spencer, Jacobus van Heerden

MONICA FAIRALL MEMORIAL AWARD: To be announced on the night

SPECIAL JUDGES AWARD: To be announced on the night.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at 19h30 on December 3, when Eastern Mosaic presenter and popular actress Jailoshini Naidoo, together with East Coast Radio’s Terrence Pillay, will act as hosts.

In between the presentation of the awards, the audience will be treated to excerpts from some of Durban’s festive season stage productions. Tickets for the awards ceremony cost R80 each and booking is at Computicket.