The Color Purple and children’s theatre win big

Naledi Theatre Awards judges saw nearly 100 productions during 2018 before announcing the 2019 winners at the Joburg Theatre on Monday night.

Sweeping the board with seven Naledi Awards is the musical The Color Purple.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time received three awards while children’s theatre piece Goggas received two, tying with Shoes and Coups with two awards. 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.

“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.

“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 – The Revlon Girl

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sipho Zakwe – Shoes & Coups

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES (SUPPORTED BY ASSITEJ SA) (0 – 13)

Goggas

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES (supported by ASSITEJ SA) (14 – 17)

Polkadotz

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES (Supported by ASSITEJ SA)

Jaques De Silva 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

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 – The Color Purple

BEST SUPPORTING/FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL/REVUE: MALE

Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri – The Color Purple

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (FEMALE)

Didintle Khunou – The Color Purple

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (MALE)

Paul du Toit – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (FEMALE)

Zikhona Sodlaka – Nongogo

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (MALE)

Kai Luke Brummer – 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 by Palesa Mazamisa,

BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

Tshepang: The Third Testament by Lara Foot

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

The Color Purple

(Compiled by Thami Kwazi)

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