So, the Naledi Awards went to …

The importance of the Naledi Awards (and the Cape based Fleur du Cap Awards) cannot be overstated.  A win, and even a nomination, goes on to CVs and becomes part of the legend of the work and the performer.  The Awards were held on 19 April 2016 (Dawn Lindberg’s birthday) and by now everyone knows exactly who won what.  I regret that I was unable to be there, but sometimes one’s health demands that one stays home.

Interestingly Ismail Mahomed, mover and shaker, is talking National Theatre Awards on Facebook this morning.  He is just the person to make this happen, and perhaps now that he is moving back to Johannesburg to take up the reigns of The Market Theatre and Foundation, he will expend some of his energies in this direction.  It will be challenging, but it can be done.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went posthumously to Taliep Peterson.  The picture is of David Kramer accepting this Award.

Below is the full list of winners cut and pasted from the press release.  My sincerest congratulations to all the winners.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Janna Ramos-Violante, Doubt
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Phillip Tipo Tindisa, Fishers of Hope
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN (Supported by Assitej SA) (0 – 12): Shrek, The Musical. JR. Prod. by People’s Theatre.  Based on book by William Steig, Dir. by Jill Girard & Keith Smith.
BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES (Supported by Assitej SA) (13 – 17) Making Mandela, Prod. by KBT Productions & Hello Elephant in ass. with the SA State Theatre & Daphne Kuhn for the A&G Theatre on the Square. Written & Dir. by Nick Warren & Jenine Collocott.
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A CHILDRENS’ THEATRE PRODUCTION: Gamelihle Bovana, James and The Giant Peach   BEST NEWCOMER/BREAKTHROUGH (The Brett Goldin Award) Sponsored by Distell: Menzi Mkhwane, A Voice I Cannot Silence
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Floris Louw, After Animals
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN (Sponsored by Robe Lighting): Kevin Stannet, After Animals
BEST AV / ANIMATION: JanHendrik Burger, After Animals
BEST SET DESIGN (Sponsored by Dreamsets): Patrick Curtis, Fishers of Hope
BEST SOUND DESIGN (Sponsored by DWR Distribution): Larry Pullen, After Animals BEST SCORE / ARRANGEMENT / ADAPTATION: Nataniël, After Animals
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Rowan Bakker, Sister Act
BEST PRODUCTION: CUTTING EDGE: Johnny Boskak Is Feeling Funny, Written by Greig Coetzee, Co-Dir. by Roslyn Wood-Morris & Craig Morris.
BEST ENSEMBLE: Lepatata, Prod. by Market Theatre & Windybrow Theatre. Written by Moagi Modise, Dir. by Makhaola Ndebele.
BEST ORGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY: Grant van Ster,    Fishers of Hope
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL / REVUE: Steven Stead, Sweeney Todd
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY: Khayelihle Dom Gumede, Crepuscule
BEST SUPPORT/FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL: Phumi Mncayi, Sister Act
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (FEMALE): Candida Mosoma, Sister Act
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL (MALE): Jonathan Roxmouth, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (FEMALE): Fiona Ramsay, Miss Dietrich Regrets
Fiona Ramsay, Doubt
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY (MALE): Ralph Lawson, A Voice I Cannot Silence
BEST NEW SA SCRIPT: A Voice I Cannot Silence. Prod. by Arts Trust of SA (ATSA). Written by Greg Homann & Ralph Lawson, Dir. by Greg Homann.
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY: Fishers of Hope, Prod. by the Baxter Theatre Centre & Mopo Productions in ass. with the SA State Theatre.  Written & Dir. by Lara Foot.
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (THE JOAN BRICKHILL AWARD): Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Prod. by Pieter Toerien & Kickstart by arr. with DALRO (Pty) Ltd. Written by Hugh Wheeler, Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Dir. by Steven Stead.

LESEDI SPIRIT OF COURAGE AWARD: Gaynor Young
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S AWARD: Thembi Mtshali
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Taliep Petersen (Posthumous)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Alvon Collison
WORLD IMPACT AWARD: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
THE SOPHIE MCINGA EMERGING VOICE AWARD (SPONSORED BY THE MARKET THEATRE 40TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY): Thandazile ‘Sonia’ Radebe.