by Ursula Brown, Managing Editor, Cape Info SA
Nominees and VIP guests, all dressed to the nines, were greeted on red carpet with cocktails and canapés, mingling to music by vivacious saxophonist Judy Brown and harpist Jane Theron. Lara Bye, previous Fleur du Cap winner and nominee, directed on stage event that was given a uniquely Capetonian vibe this year. Performances by David Kramer and his Breyani Band, Limited Edition Drummers, Gugulethu Tenors, Thembi Mtshali-Jones and world champion break dance duo Jed and Duane Lawrence, also known as the Ubuntu BBoys.
Entertaining the illustrious crowd in between the awarding of prizes was hilarious MC Alan Committee with elegant television personality Charlene Truter his co-host.
Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards is the premier event of its kind in South Africa. Every year prizes are given to outstanding individuals for theatre excellence, specifically focusing on professional theatre productions staged in Cape Town Metropole and surrounds. Judges are made up of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators, who base their decisions on having viewed close to 100 productions over twelve months, in several venues in and around the city. Panel consists of Marianne Thamm, Mariana Malan, Marina Nel, Peter Tromp, Len Ashton, Beverley Brommert, Wayne Muller, Herman van der Westhuizen, Zane Henry, Jill Makram, Denise Bester and Conrad Sidego, the non-voting chairman.
London Road, production directed by Lara Bye, scooped three awards for Robyn Scott as Best Actress, Ntomboxolo Makhutshi as Best Supporting Actress and Nicholas Spagnoletti for Best New SA Script. Woyzeck was acknowledged in two categories with Bongile Mantsai winning Best Supporting Actor and Leopold Senekal receiving the Fleur du Cap for Best Design (costumes and set). Pieter-Dirk Uys, who was awarded a coveted TEDDY in Berlin last month and a Naledi in Johannesbaurg last week, received his third major award of 2011 when he won the Fleur du Cap for Best Performance in a Revue or Cabaret for his role as Bambi Kellermann in F.A.K Songs and Other Struggle Anthems.
Each award carries a R15 000 cash prize and a silver medallion, making a 'Fleur du Cap' one of the most coveted awards in the industry. Awards are given for musicals, comedy and drama productions. Special attention is paid to the entire artistic creation of a production which includes writing of new scripts, acting, directing plus the challenging technical and design elements.
46th annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards : Category winners
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR : Warrick Grier for Blackbird as Ray
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS : Robyn Scott for London Road as Rose
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR : Bongile Mantsai for Woyzeck as Drum Major
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS : Ntomboxolo Makhutshi for London Road as Stella
BEST DIRECTOR : Malcolm Purkey for The Girl in the Yellow Dress
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON SHOW/ James Cairns for Dirt
BEST NEW SA SCRIPT: London Road - Nicholas Spagnoletti
PRIZE FOR NEW DIRECTORS : Christiaan Olwagen for Woza Andries
BEST PERFORMANCE IN MUSICAL: Ilse Klink for Mamma Mia! as Rosie
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE OR CABARET: Pieter-Dirk Uys for F.A.K Songs and Other Struggle Anthems as Bambi Kellermann
BEST DESIGN : Leopold Senekal - Costume and Prop Design for Aesop's Fables and Costume and Set Design for Woyzeck
BEST STUDENT AWARD : De Klerk Oelofse from University of Stellenbosch (US)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD : Mannie Manim
AWARD INNOVATIVE THEATRE CONTRIBUTION: Klein Libertas Theatre Stellenbosch
PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD - Members of public voted online for favourite production of 2010 between 28 Feb - 16 Mar. The Mechanicals production of Louis Nowra’s Cosi.
Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards is an initiative of the Distell Foundation, forming part of Distell’s Corporate Social Investment Programme that is dedicated to supporting the performing arts. The event itself is an evening of glitz and glamour that is equivalent to the Tony Awards in New York, and it attracts the cream of the country’s theatre talent and entertainers.