SA: Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards announces winners

The biggest winner, What Remains, received five awards while King Kong, a musical that launched the international careers of the late musicians Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, walked away with three awards in the Original Music Composition, Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical and Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical categories.

King Kong musical details the tragic life of the late prominent boxer Ezekiel Dlamini (King Kong) who committed suicide in 1957. The play made a comeback on theatre stages in 2017 after a hiatus of more than half a century.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards were launched in 1965 to honour theatre production in Cape Town. Every year the ceremony evaluates more than 90 productions in about 20 Cape Town venues.

Here is the full list of winners:

Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

• Andile Gumbi in King Kong as King Kong
• David Dennis in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Bernadette
• Jonathan Roxmouth in Evita as Che
• Marc Lottering in Aunty Merle the Musical as Aunty Merle
• Sne Dladla in King Kong as Pop

Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

• Ashleigh Harvey in Funny Girl as Fanny Brice
• Edith Plaatjies in King Kong as Joyce
• Emma Kingston in Evita as Eva
• Nondumiso Tembe in King Kong as Joyce
• Tarryn Lamb in Aunty Merle the Musical as Abigail

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

• Anton Luitingh in Evita as Magaldi
• Anton Luitingh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Pharoah
• Sanda Shandu in King Kong as Lucky
• Tshepo Ncokoane in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Miss Understanding
• Tshamano Sebe in King Kong as Jack

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show

• Candice von Litsenborgh in Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Shirley
• Isabella Jane in Evita as The Mistress
• Josslynn Hlenti in King Kong as Petal
• Kate Normington in Funny Girl as Mrs Brice
• Tankiso Mamabolo in Aunty Merle the Musical as Lydia

Best Performance by an Ensemble

• The cast of Marat/Sade
• The divas of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• The cast of Shakespeare in Love
• The cast of Tartuffe
• The cast of What Remains

Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-person Show

• Daniel Mpilo Richards in State Fracture in Various Roles
• Gideon Lombard in Die Reuk van Appels as Marnus
• Jemma Kahn in In Bocca al Lupo as The Narrator
• Sandra Prinsloo in Moedertaal as Nellie
• Tony Bonani Miyambo in Kafka's Ape as Red Pete

Best Performance in an Opera – male

• Fikile Mvinjelwa in Rigoletto as Rigoletto
• Jaco Venter in Der Fliegende Holländer as Holländer
• Lukhanyo Moyake in Rigoletto as The Duke of Mantua
• Lukhanyo Moyake in Der Fliegende Holländer as Steuermann
• Martin Mkhize in The Magic Flute as Papageno

Best Performance in an Opera – female

• Brittany Smith in The Magic Flute as Pamina
• Johanni van Oostrum in Der Fliegende Holländer as Senta
• Leah Gunter in The Magic Flute as The Queen
• Noluvuyiso Mpofu in Rigoletto as Gilda
• Nonhlanhla Yende in Rigoletto as Maddalena

Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play

• André Roothman in Die Nag van Legio as Dogoman
• Charlton George in Marat/Sade as Jean-Paul Marat
• Craig Morris in Tartuffe as Tartuffe/Madame Pernelle
• Ephraim Gordon in Die Dans van die Watermeid as Mills
• Marty Kintu in Topdog/Underdog as Lincoln

Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play

• Buhle Ngaba in What Remains as The Student
• Charmaine Weir-Smith in Suddenly the Storm as Shanell
• Faniswa Yisa in What Remains as The Archeologist
• Tinarie van Wyk Loots in Hemelruim as Mariaan
• Tinarie van Wyk Loots in Marat/Sade as Charlotte Corday

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play

• Bongile Mantsai in Marat/Sade as Duperret
• Darren Araujo in Shakespeare in Love as Henslowe, Ensemble
• Gerben Kamper in Die Nag van Legio as Oubaas Menge
• Mark Elderkin in Twelfth Night as Malvolio
• Wessel Pretorius in Twelfth Night as Feste

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play

• Camilla Waldman in Tartuffe as Cléante
• Faith Kinnear in Marat/Sade as Patient, Chorus
• Jenny Stead in The Visit as Jackie Lodin
• Renate Stuurman in Suddenly the Storm as Namhla
• Robyn Scott in Shakespeare in Love as Elizabeth I, Ensemble

Best Theatre Production for Children and Young People

• Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer for Peter Pan
• Jon Keevy for The Underground Library
• Marinda Engelbrecht and Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck for Vlooi en die Koninginby/Kipper and the Queen Bee

Award for Most Promising Student

• Luntu Masiza, AFDA
• Matthew Stuurman, UCT
• Melani-Roxanne Breedt, AFDA
• Tristan de Beer, UCT
• Zoe McLaughlin, WITS

Best New Director

• Dara Beth
• Joshua G Ackerman
• Nico Scheepers
• Nwabisa Plaatjie
• Thando Mangcu

Best Lighting Design

• Nick Schlieper and Per Hording for Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Patrick Curtis for Marat/Sade
• Tim Mitchell for King Kong
• Wilhelm Disbergen for What Remains
• Wolf Britz for Shakespeare in Love

Best Set Design

• Brian Thomson for Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Bus Concept and Production Design)
• Greg King for Suddenly the Storm
• Jaco Bouwer for Marat/Sade
• Nicola Mayer for Immortal
• Nigel Hook for The Play that Goes Wrong

Best Costume Design

• Birrie le Roux for King Kong
• Birrie le Roux for Funny Girl
• Leigh Bishop and Lieze van Tonder for Twelfth Night
• Sasha Ehlers for Tartuffe
• Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner for Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Sound Design, Original Music Composition or Original Score

• Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for Original Music Composition (additional) for King Kong
• Daf James and Michael Williams for Original Score for Tiger Bay the Musical
• Neo Muyanga for Original Music Composition for Twelfth Night
• Pierre-Henri Wicomb for Original Music Composition for Marat/Sade
• Tarryn Lamb and Marc Lottering for Original Score for Aunty Merle the Musical

Best New South African Script

• Die Dans van die Watermeid by Amee Lekas
• Suddenly the Storm by Paul Slabolepszy
• The Eulogists by Louis Viljoen
• The Visit by Brent Palmer
• What Remains by Nadia Davids

Best Director

• Jaco Bouwer for Marat/Sade
• Jay Pather for What Remains
• Jonathan Munby for King Kong
• Lara Bye for Die Reuk van Appels
• Sylvaine Strike for Tartuffe

Best Production

• Die Reuk van Appels – Theatrerocket (Johan van der Merwe and Rudi Sadler)
• King Kong – The Fugard Theatre (Eric Abraham)
• Marat/Sade – The Baxter Theatre (Nicolette Moses)
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert – ShowTime Management (Hazel Feldman)
• What Remains – Nadia Davids

Award for Innovation in Theatre

• Imbewu Trust & Kunste Onbeperk

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Alvon Collison