THEATRE AWARD NOMINATIONS

See the list of winners at http://news.artsmart.co.za/2013/12/the-mercury-durban-theatre-awards-2012.html
The Mercury Durban Theatre Awards 2012-2013 will be held at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on December 9 at 19h30 when the best of Durban theatre will be acknowledged and celebrated.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by radio, television and media personality, Terence Pillay, and promises to be a sophisticated and glamorous celebration of the local theatre industry.

Principal sponsors are media partner The Mercury, the Bartel Arts Trust, the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Troubadour Productions, DarkHorse Productions, Black Coffee Design, Stuart Edwards & Company, Publicity Matters, the Monica Fairall Memorial Trust, ClaviTech, artSMart, Val Adamson Photography and Sunshine Factory.

Supporting this award system since its inception in 2003 is the Bartel Arts Trust. This trust was established in 1992 through a bequest of the late Hugo Bartel, a wealthy industrialist with a passion for the arts. The trust sponsors community arts projects, artists, arts projects and student bursaries. The trust established the BAT Centre in 1996 which became a hub of the performing and visual arts in Durban. The BAT Centre was subsequently donated to the BAT Centre Trust. In addition to the theatre awards the trust currently sponsors the Durban Music School, DUT Department of Fine Art, the Phansi Museum and several student bursaries.

Tickets R80 at Computicket outlets or by calling 0861 915 8000.

The list of nominations follows:

1. Poster Design: Shirley Berko (Beauty and The Beast; The Rise of... The Insanity League; Twitch and Venus in Fur), and Janna Ramos-Violante (Callum’s Will)

2. Sound Design: Megan Levy ( Beauty and The Beast and The Wizard of Oz); Andre Norden (Take Five); Colin Peddie (Shaken not Stirred) and Clinton Stevenson (The African Passion)

3. Lighting Design: Michael Broderick (The Rise of ... The Insanity League) and Tina le Roux (Beauty and The Beast, The Erl King, The Ladykillers, Twitch and Venus in Fur)

4. Costume Design: Peter Court (The Erl King); Kevin Ellis & Gareth Greaves (The Wizard of Oz); Greg King (Beauty and The Beast); Neil Stuart Harris (The Ladykillers), and Themi Venturas (The 39 Steps)

5. Set Design: Michael Broderick (The Rise of ... The Insanity League); Bryan Hiles (The Black Psychologist); Greg King (Beauty and The Beast, The Ladykillers, Twitch and Venus in Fur), and Themi Venturas (The 39 Steps)

6. New Performer – Female: Madelaine Davis (Transition); Prenasha Govindasamy (Consenting Silence); Nompilo Maphumulo (The Weeping Candle) and Ayanda Sibisi (Beauty and The Beast)

7. New Performer – Male: Sashin Kandhai (Consenting Silence); Brandon Moulder (Transition); Musa Ntuli (The Weeping Candle), and Thabiso Radebe (High Heels ... with Balls).

CHILDREN’S THEATRE: No nominations in this category.

MUSICAL THEATRE & MUSIC REVUE / MUSIC COMPILATION / CABARET

8. Choreography: Janine Bennewith (Beauty and The Beast) and Daisy Spencer (The African Passion, Shaken not Stirred and The Wizard of Oz)

9. Performer: Music Revue / Music Compilation / Cabaret: Rory Booth (Shaken not Stirred); Lyle Buxton (Shaken not Stirred); Liesl Coppin (Shaken not Stirred); Marion Loudon (Shaken not Stirred); Shelley McLean (Take Five), and Jacobus van Heerden (The Wizard of Oz)

10. Supporting Actress: Musical Theatre: Liesl Coppin (Beauty and The Beast); Caitlin Kilburn (The African Passion), and Charon Williams-Ros (Beauty and The Beast)

11. Supporting Actor: Musical Theatre: Rory Booth, Peter Court, Bryan Hiles and Darren King – all nominated for Beauty and The Beast

12. Lead Actress: Musical Theatre: Natalia da Rocha and Sandra Dee both for The African Passion; Sam Hlope (Sophiatown) and Georgina Mabbett (Beauty and The Beast)

13. Lead Actor: Musical Theatre: Lyle Buxton and Sascha Halbhuber both for Beauty and The Beast and Grant Jacobs (The African Passion)

14. Musical Director: Shelley McLean (Take Five); Shelley McLean, Justin Southey and Nik Sakellarides (Beauty and The Beast); Dawn Selby (Book Club) and Charon Williams-Ros (Shaken not Stirred)

15. Director: Musical Theatre / Music Revue: Darren King (The Wizard of Oz); Steven Stead: (Beauty and The Beast) and Charon Williams-Ros (Shaken not Stirred)

16. Music Revue Production: Shaken not Stirred (Gary McKenzie); Take Five (Shelley McLean) and The Wizard of Oz (Sue Clarence Promotions in assoc with Suncoast Casino, Hotel and Entertainment)

17. Musical Theatre Production: The African Passion (Catalina UnLtd) and Beauty and The Beast (KickstArt)

DRAMA / COMEDY

18. Script: Madelaine Davis (Transition); Robert Fridjhon (Twitch); Marc Kay (The Erl King); Aaron McIlroy, John van de Ruit & Ben Voss (The Rise of ... The Insanity League), and Janna Ramos-Violante (Callum’s Will)

19. Supporting Actress: Drama / Comedy: Kamini Govender and Shona Johnson both for Consenting Silence, and Clare Mortimer and Daisy Spencer both for Othello.

20. Supporting Actor: Drama / Comedy: Lyle Buxton, Peter Court, Iain Robinson and Jacobus van Heerden, all for The Ladykillers; Michael Gritten (Othello) and Loyiso MacDonald (The 39 Steps)

21. Comedic Performance: Lisa Bobbert, Jailoshini Naidoo, Iain Robinson and Tim Wells, all for Twitch; Aaron McIlroy, John van de Ruit and Ben Voss, all for The Rise of ... The Insanity League, and Charon Williams-Ros (The Ladykillers)

22. Solo Performance: Frank Graham (There was a Time...); Marc Kay (The Erl King) and Hamish Kyd (Knowing You... Knowing Me)

23. Lead Actress: Drama / Comedy: Lisa Bobbert and Jailoshini Naidoo, both for Twitch; Liesl Coppin (The Black Psychiatrist), Madelaine Davis (Transition), Janna Ramos-Violante (Venus in Fur), and Charon Williams-Ros (The Ladykillers)

24. Lead Actor: Drama / Comedy: Neil Coppen (Venus in Fur); Michael Gritten (The 39 Steps); Marc Kay (The Erl King); Darren King and Clinton Small, both for Callum’s Will; Thabiso Radebe (High Heels ... with balls); Iain Robinson (Twitch), and Tim Wells (The Ladykillers)

25. Director: Drama / Comedy: Bryan Hiles (The Erl King); Janna Ramos-Violante (Callum’s Will) and Steven Stead (The Ladykillers, Twitch and Venus in Fur)

26. Production: Drama / Comedy: Callum’s Will (ThinSkin); The Erl King (The Actors Unemployed Company); The Ladykillers (KickstArt); Transition (Brandon Moulder) and Venus in Fur (KickstArt)

27. Monica Fairall Memorial Award: To be announced on the night

28. Judges Award: To be announced on the night

29. The Mercury Theatre Personality of the Year Award: To be announced on the night – readers’ vote