The 15th annual Naledi Theatre Awards winners:
2018 was special year with a host of world-class productions being nominated
for the awards.
Outstanding talent and excellence in theatre are
the watchwords for the Naledis. As the theatre landscape diversifies and
matures to reflect today’s South African society and the mainstreaming of truly
indigenous works from musicals to plays, children’s theatre and independent
productions, the roles of the Naledi judges have become increasingly more
difficult and challenging each year. Whilst budgets tighten and audiences are
getting harder to attract, it is the role of theatre-makers in this country to
provide their audiences with productions that fulfill their creative spirits
and thrill their audiences. It is against this backdrop, that the Naledi Judges
saw nearly 100 productions during 2018.
The judging of these productions saw very few
surprises this year with the majority of nominations needing little or no
debate. As usual the actual votes for productions are done in secret and the
results are audited.
Sweeping the boards with 7 Naledi Awards is the
musical “The Color Purple. The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, follows with three awards. The brand
new South African play Shoes and Coups
gets the nod with two awards, as does the children’s theatre piece Goggas.
Founder and CEO of the Naledi Theatre Awards,
Dawn Lindberg, on behalf of the Judges and Board of the Naledis, congratulates
all the winners, nominees and theatre practitioners for an exceptional year of
entertainment and dedication to the craft.
“However, we are constantly devastated by the
lack of financial support given to theatre in general and the Naledis in
particular by the Department of Arts and Culture, National Arts Council and
television Channels such as KykNet, Mzansi Magic and the SABC,” she said.
“Almost everyone involved in producing, creating and staging the Naledis this
year worked for no remuneration. We are profoundly grateful to the Joburg
Theatre, Splitbeam Technical and Visual Frontiers as well as the presenters and
entertainers who all felt honoured to be part of the celebration of excellence
within their own ranks.”
The winners of the 15th Annual Naledi Theatre
awards are:
Best Supporting Actress
Heidi Mollentze as “Rona” - The Revlon Girl
Best Supporting Actor
Sipho Zakwe - Shoes & Coups
Best Production For Children & Young Audiences (Supported By Assitej
Sa) (0 – 13)
GOGGAS! - Prod. by National
Children's Theatre, Written by Gillian Katz adapted by Francois Theron, Dir. by
Jade Bowers
Best Production For Children & Young Audiences (Supported By Assitej
Sa) (14 - 17)
POLKADOTS - Prod. by Redhill School in
partnership with &CO, Dir. by Shelley Adriaanzen
Best Performance In A Production For Young Audiences (Supported By
Assitej Sa)
Jaques De Silva as “as Antic the Ant” - Goggas!
Best Breakthrough Performance
Ryan de Villiers as "Miss Trunchbull"
- Roald Dahl's Matilda
Best Costume Design
Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer - Macbeth
Best Lighting Design
Gareth Hewitt Williams - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Av/Animation Design
Gareth Hewitt Williams - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Set Design
Stan Knight - Fool for Love
Best Sound Design
Ntuthuko Mbuyazi - Florence
Best Score / Arrangement / Adaptation
Kabelo “Bonafide” Togoe & Aubrey Sekhabi -
FREEDOM
Best Musical Director
Rowan Bakker - The Color Purple
Best Ensemble
HANI: The
legacy - Prod. by The Market Theatre Laboratory, Created by Graduates of
The Market Theatre Laboratory, Dir. by Leila Henriques
Best Original Choreography
Oscar Buthelezi - The Color Purple
Best Director Of A Musical / Revue
Janice Honeyman - The Color Purple
Best Director Of A Play
Charmaine Weir-Smith - The Train Driver
Best Supporting/Featured Performance In A Musical/Revue: Female
Lelo Ramasimong as "Shug Avery" - The Color Purple
Best Supporting/Featured Performance In A Musical/Revue: Male
Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as “Harpo” - The Color Purple
Best Lead Performance In A Musical (Female)
Didintle Khunou as “Celie” - The Color Purple
Best Lead Performance In A Musical (Male)
Paul du Toit as “Hedwig” - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Best Lead Performance In A Play (Female)
Zikhona Sodlaka as “Queenie” - Nongogo
Best Lead Performance In A Play (Male)
Kai Luke Brummer as “Christopher Boone” - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-Time
Best Performance In A Solo Production: Female/Male
Daniel Mpilo Richards - Land Acts
Best New Sa Script
Shoes & Coups - Prod. by The Market
Theatre Written & Dir. by Palesa Mazamisa,
Best Production Of A Play
Tshepang: The Third Testament - Prod. by Joburg
Theatre, Written & Dir. by Lara Foot
Best Production Of A Musical
The Color Purple - Prod. by Joburg Theatre
& Bernard Jay, Dir. by Janice Honeyman
For further information visit www.naleditheatreawards.com
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