The Distell Group and Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards panel are proud to announce the highly anticipated list of nominees in contention for the prestigious awards which reward outstanding work in the theatre industry annually.
Now in their 58th year, the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are South Africa’s most prominent and longest running awards of their kind and Fleur du Cap nominees or winners are always proud to highlight this award on their biographic and promotional material.
The theatre fraternity managed to raise the curtain on an impressive 59 productions eligible for consideration in 2022, despite still being hampered by Covid-19 restrictions in the first part of the year.
Nominations were made by the panel of judges across 21 competitive categories. The names of the winners will be revealed at a red-carpet, open-air celebration at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch on the evening of Sunday, 26 March. On the same occasion, the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Innovation in Theatre Awards will also be announced. Every category winner will receive a sum of R15 000.
Panel chair, Africa Melane, says: “Theatre audiences in Cape Town and surrounds were treated to extraordinary creativity in 2022, with theatre demonstrating the breadth and diversity that the sector has to offer. Theatre-makers showed great resilience in yet another difficult year of producing and mounting outstanding work.
“The industry is grateful to the public for supporting the arts, returning to theatres in their droves, hungry for a live theatre experience.
“These shows helped us to experience deep-seated emotions and change our perceptions of the world, as well as better understand the struggles and successes of other people and cultures. They reminded us that we are not alone. With these nominations, we celebrate and honour the sterling work showcased.”
Melane explains that in the category for Musicals and Music Theatre productions, there will only be awards for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor. This is attributed to the limited number of musicals and music theatre productions that were staged.
Tracey Saunders, overseeing the evaluation of all student productions for awards, says: “It’s been a delight to watch students return to full-time study on campus after the Covid-enforced break. Their enthusiasm shone through on stages at all of the tertiary institutions.
“Students staged 70 productions ranging from a few large-cast extravaganzas to small, intimate pieces and several in between. Increasingly, students venture beyond acting to hone their talents in writing, directing and the technical craft required to stage work. These multi-talented and disciplined young people, 185 of them to be precise, were the focus of much deliberation. Ten nominees have deservedly earned their places on this list. With a cohort of such disciplined and talented students, the future of the creative industry in South Africa looks bright.”
The student institutions represented are Act (Cape Town), AFDA, CTDPS, LAMTA, Magnet Theatre, Northlink College, University of Stellenbosch and the Waterfront Theatre School.
Audiences will be able to tune in for a livestream of the event from 18:00 on 26 March. Details will be released via social media, closer to the time of the event.
Nominees for the 58th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, in alphabetical order:
AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT
- Anna Olivier | LAMTA
- Buhle Stefane | Magnet Theatre
- Gerard van Rooyen |LAMTA
- Katherine Sharp | AFDA
- Ketsia Velaphi | AFDA
- Koketso Mere | Waterfront Theatre School
- Miché C van Wyk | University of Stellenbosch
- Mikayla Joy Brown | University of Stellenbosch
- Minke Marais | University of Stellenbosch
- Sunny Yoon | LAMTA
BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT
- Basil Appollis and Sylvia Vollenhoven | Dance of the La Gumas
- Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer | Contested Bodies
- Nadia Davids | Hold Still
- Nico Scheepers | Nêrens, Noord-Kaap
- Scott Sparrow | Dinner at the 42s
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
- Carlo Daniels | No Complaints – New Day, New Dawn
- Duane Alexander | Your Song – The Music of Elton John
- Emma Amber | The Marvelous Wonderettes
- Iman Isaacs | Irma
- Sohail Booise | Hostel Lights (Zabalaza Best of the Fest)
BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
- Liewe Heksie en die rolskaatse | Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck
- Peter Pan | A&M Productions (Fred Abrahamse and Marcel Meyer)
- Sonde met die spoke | University of Stellenbosch Drama Department
- Vlooi en die geheim/Kipper and the Secret | Marinda Engelbrecht and Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
- Albert Pretorius, De Klerk Oelofse and Geon Nel | Nêrens, Noord-Kaap | Ronnie, Andries and Frans
- Andrew Buckland, Billy Langa, Carlo Daniels, Craig Leo, Faniswa Yisa, Marty Kintu, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Sandra Prinsloo and Roshina Ratnam | Life and Times of Michael K | Various roles
- Brendan van Rhyn, Christopher Dudgeon and Rudi Jansen | The Triplets of Bellville | Cathy Specific, Holly and Molly
- Dean Balie, Grant van Ster and Shaun Oelf | Karatara | Themselves
- Lungile Lallie, Marcel Meyer and Matthew Baldwin | Contested Bodies | John Nobody, Doctor James Barry and Lord Charles Somerset
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET OR ONE-PERSON SHOW
- Daniel Anderson | Vincent – His Quest to Love and Be Loved | Various roles
- Daniel Newton | Shadow Boxing | Flynn
- Erika Marais | Die Goeie Pa | Various roles
- Sibuyiselo Dywili | The House of Truth | Can Themba
- Sophie Joans | Île | Herself
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
- Anzio September | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Zane
- Earl Gregory | Star+Crossed | Billy
- Loukmaan Adams | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Benny
- Marc Lottering | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Aunty Merle
- Shaun Oelf | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Lead Dancer
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
- Jawaahier Petersen | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Soraya
- Keiko Mdwaba | Once on this Island | Little Ti Moune/Peasant
- Noluthando Dlamini | The Marvelous Wonderettes | Betty Jean
- Sarah Jane | Star+Crossed | Bess
- Tankiso Mamabolo | Aunty Merle: Things Get Real | Ayanda/Dr McTavish
BEST PUPPETRY DESIGN
- Adrian Kohler | Handspring Puppet Company | Life and Times of Michael K
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
- Faheem Bardien | Star+Crossed
- Gideon Lombard | Karatara
- Joshua Cutts | Life and Times of Michael K
- Mannie Manim | Kiss of the Spider Woman
- Wolf Britz | Firefly
BEST SET DESIGN
- Greg King | Fordsburg’s Finest
- Nial Griffin | Dinner with the 42s
- Patrick Curtis | Hold Still
- Themba Stewart | No Complaints – New Day, New Dawn
- Wolf Britz | Kiss of the Spider Woman
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
- Brendan van Rhyn, Christopher Dudgeon and Rudi Jansen | The Triplets of Bellville
- Marcel Meyer | A Streetcar Named Desire
- Marcel Meyer | Contested Bodies
- Nial Griffin | Dinner with the 42s
- Phillis Midlane | Life and Times of Michael K
BEST SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC, SOUNDSCAPE OR LIVE PERFORMANCE
- Gideon Lombard | Karatara | Sound design
- Charl-Johan Lingenfelder | A Streetcar Named Desire | Sound design
- Kyle Shephard | Life and Times of Michael K | Original music
- Simon Kohler | Life and Times of Michael K | Sound design
- Wessel Odendaal | Star+Crossed | Original music
BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – MALE
- Conroy Scott | Le Nozze di Figaro | Figaro
- Lwazi Dlamini | Le Nozze di Figaro | Bartolo
- Smelo Mahlangu | Sara Baartman – The Opera | Georges Cuvier
- Van Wyk Venter | L’elisir d’amore | Belcore
- William Berger | Le Nozze di Figaro | Count Almaviva
BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – FEMALE
- Bongiwe Nakani | Sara Baartman – The Opera | Sara Baartman
- Brittany Smith | Le Nozze di Figaro | Susanna
- Megan Kahts | Alcina | Ruggiero
- Setsoane Jeannette Ntseki | Alcina | Morgana
- Siphamandla Moyake | Le Nozze di Figaro | Countess Almaviva
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
- Brent Palmer | Dinner at the 42s | Drinkwater
- Carlo Daniels | The Unlikely Secret Agent | Various roles
- Gerard Rudolf | Neon Smoel | The Lobster Man
- Matthew Baldwin | A Streetcar Named Desire | Mitch
- Sanda Shandu | Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf | Nick
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
- Babalwa Makwetu | IKrele leChiza… The Sermon | The mother
- Berenice Barbier | Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf | Honey
- Lauren Snyders | Curl Up and Dye | Charmaine
- Melissa Haiden | A Streetcar Named Desire | Stella
- Nomakrestu Xakatugaga | Ikrele leChiza… The Sermon | Nongoma (Guardian of the ancestral realm)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
- Emily Child | Dinner with the 42s | Eva
- Fiona Ramsay | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois
- Marí Borstlap | Neon Smoel | Kaval
- Mwenya Kabwe | Hold Still | Rosa Feigel
- Sylvaine Strike | Firefly | Ferine, Sophia and Mariti
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
- Andrew Buckland | Firefly | Ferase, Uxor and Conrad
- Elton Landrew | Dance of the La Gumas | Alex La Guma
- Mncedisi Shabangu | Blood Knot | Zacharia
- Nicholas Pauling | Dinner with the 42s | Burn
- Paul Slabolepzsy | Fordburg’s Finest | Freddie Volschenk
BEST DIRECTOR
- Fred Abrahamse | Contested Bodies
- Gideon Lombard | Karatara
- Greg Karvellas | Dinner with the 42s
- Jay Pather | Hold Still
- Toni Morkel | Firefly
BEST PRODUCTION
- A Streetcar Named Desire | A&M Productions
- Contested Bodies | A&M Productions
- Firefly | Baxter Theatre Centre, SU Woordfees in Association with Fortune Cookie Theatre Company
- Karatara | Marie Vogts
- Life and Times of Michael K | Baxter Theatre Centre; Theater der Welt, Düsseldorf; Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
A Christmas Carol, A Revue of the Songs of Brel and Piaf, A Streetcar Named Desire, Agulhasvlakte, Aunty Merle: Things Get Real, Back to Ashes (Zabalaza Best of the Fest), Betrayal, Blood Knot, Born Naked, Buzani Kubawo, Concerning the Life of Babyboy Kleintjies, Contested Bodies, Curl Up and Dye, Dance of the La Gumas, Defending the Gay Man, Die Goeie Pa, Dinner with the 42s, Double Star, Earworm, Firefly, Fordsburg’s Finest, Four Fathers: Bananas for the Baboons, Hamlet, He Had it Coming, Hold Still, Hostel Lights (Zabalaza Best of the Fest),I Want to Write You a Submarine, iKrele leChiza, Île, Imbilini…My Friend!, Irma, Karatara, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Life and Times of Michael K, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Mad About the Boys, May I Have This Dance, More Than a Handful, Mutton Hour, Neon Smoel, Nêrens, Noord-Kaap, No Complaints – New Day, New Dawn, Once on This Island, One Arm, Platform 9: Coming Home, Shadow Boxing, Shirley Valentine, Star+Crossed, The Dead Tinder Society, The House of Truth, The Last Five Years, The Marvelous Wonderettes, The Triplets of Bellville, The Unlikely Secret Agent, Thuto, Vincent – His Quest to Love and Be Loved, Vloeibare moed, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Your Song – The Music of Elton John.
The panel for the year 2022, selecting the 2023 nominees and winners:
Africa Melane (Chair), Dr Beverley Brommert, Hadley Tituss, Dr Lwando Scott, Mariana Malan, Marina Griebenow, Tracey Saunders, Dr Wayne Muller.
Follow the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards on Facebook (@fdctheatreawards), Instagram (@fdctheatreawards) and Twitter (@FDCTheatreAward).
Join the conversation and use the hashtags: #FDCTheatreAwards and #DistellArts
Follow Distell on Twitter (@DistellGroup), Facebook (@DistellGroup) and Youtube (@DistellGroup).
The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards is sponsored by Distell, Africa’s leading producer and marketer of a selection of top-quality spirits, wines, ciders and other ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, sold across the world. At inception in 1965, the awards were known as the Three Leaf Awards, becoming the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards in 1978 to celebrate one of Distell’s leading wine brands. Go to www.distell.co.za for more information about its various arts and culture projects.
