Now entering its 15th year, the Naledi Theatre Awards is the biggest and most prestigious Awards entity to recognise and reward excellence in SA Theatre.

With just a week to go til we celebrate the cream of South African theatre for performances in 2018, here is a reminder of who stands in line to collect a prestigious Naledi Award on 20 May.

Best Production Of A Play

Fool for Love – Prod. by  The Market Theatre, Written by Sam Shepard, Dir. by Janice Honeyman

Macbeth – Prod. by Pieter Toerien, Written by. William Shakespeare, Dir. by Fred Abrahamse

Shoes & Coups – Prod. by The Market Theatre, Written &  Dir. by Palesa Mazamisa, mentor Dir. by  Maralin Vanrenen

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time –  Prod. by Pieter Toerien, Written by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens, Dir. by  Paul Warwick Griffin

The Train Driver – Prod. by The Market Theatre by arr. With DALRO, Written by Athol Fugard, Dir. by Charmaine Weir-Smith

Tshepang: The Third Testament – Prod. by  Joburg Theatre , Written & Dir. by Lara Foot

 

Best Production Of A Musical

Avenue Q – Prod. by VR Theatricals & Kosie Smit by arr. With DALRO, Written by Jeff Whitty, Dir. by Timothy le Roux

Freedom – Prod. by The South African State Theatre, Written by Aubrey Sekhabi & Kabelo “Bonafide” Togoe , Dir. by Aubrey Sekhabi

Hedwig and the Angry Inch –  Prod. by GATE 69 in assoc. with VR Theatricals, Written by John Cameron Mitchel & Stephen Trask Dir. by Elizma Badenhorst

Roald Dahl’s Matilda – Prod. by Pieter Toerien & GWB Entertainment, Written by Dennis Kelly & Tim Minchin, Dir. by Matthew Warchus

The Color Purple – Prod. by  Joburg Theatre & Bernard Jay, Written by Marsha Norman, Brenda Russell, Allee Willis & Stephen Bray, Dir. by Janice Honeyman

 

Best New South African Script

Another one’s bread –  Prod. by  The Market Theatre & DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security, in asso. with MVG Productions, Written by Mike van Graan, Dir. by Pamela Nompumelelo Nomvete

Dikakapa –  Prod. by The Market Theatre in ass. With DAC, Written by Issac E Sithole & Tebogo P Serapelo , Dir. by Nketu Lebeko (Mentor Dir. Mpho Molepo )

Freedom –  Prod. by The South African State Theatre, Written by Aubrey Sekhabi & Kabelo “Bonafide” Togoe , Dir. by Aubrey Sekhabi

Land Acts –  Prod. by MVG & DMR Productions, Written by Mike van Graan, Dir. by Rob van Vuuren

My hole my home –  Prod. by The Market Theatre & DAC Incubator project, Written by John Moalosi Ledwaba, Dir. by Phala Ookeditse Phala

Shoes & Coups – Prod. by The Market Theatre, Written &  Dir. by Palesa Mazamisa, mentor Dir. by  Maralin Vanrenen

 

Best Director Of A Play

Charmaine Weir-Smith – The Train Driver

Janice Honeyman – Fool for Love

Lara Foot – Tshepang: The Third Testament

Palesa Mazamisa – Shoes & Coups

Paul Warwick Griffin – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Phala Ookeditse Phala – My hole my home

Steven Feinstein – The Revlon Girl

 

Best Director Of A Musical / Revue

Aubrey Sekhabi – Freedom

Elizma Badenhorst – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Janice Honeyman – The Color Purple

Janice Honeyman & Timothy le Roux – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

Timothy le Roux – Avenue Q

Weslee Swain Lauder – Great Balls of Fire

 

Best Breakthrough Performance

Jazzara Jaslyn as “Alex” – Fatal Attraction

Kai Luke Brummer as “Christopher Boone” – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Marianthe Smart as “The Revlon Girl” – The Revlon Girl

Rebecca Hartle as “Christmas Eve” – Avenue Q

Ryan de Villiers as “Miss Trunchbull” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

 

Best Supporting / Featured Actress in a Play

Heidi Mollentze as “Rona” – The Revlon Girl

Julie-Anne Mcdowell as “Marilyn” – The Revlon Girl

Moliehi Makobane as “Minister of Justice” –  You fool how can the sky  fall

Olive Strachan as “Alina” – African Gothic

Tracey-Lee Oliver as “Annette” – Jungfrau

 

Best Supporting / Featured Actor in a Play

David Dennis as “Inspector Theo Abrahams” – Green Man Flashing

Jeremy Richard as “The Porter” – Macbeth

Roberto Pombo as “Ross Gardiner” – Visiting Mr. Green

Sipho Zakwe – Shoes & Coups

Tristan de Beer as “Lady Macbeth” – Macbeth

 

Best Supporting/Featured Performance In A Musical: Female

Bethany Dickson as “Miss Honey” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Claire Taylor as “Mrs. Wormwood” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Lelo Ramasimong as “Shug Avery” – The Color Purple

Neo Motaung as “Sofia” – The Color Purple

Nompumelelo Mayiyane as “Mrs. Phelps” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Sebe Leotlela as “Nettie” – The Color Purple

 

Best Supporting/Featured Performance In A Musical: Male

Ben Voss as “Queen Hildegonda Hurl-A-Lot” – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

Daniel Geddes as “Cookie Monster” – Avenue Q

Desmond Dube as “Dame Dolla Diddledaddledoodle” – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

Stephen Jubber as “Mr. Wormwood” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as “Harpo” – The Color Purple

 

Best Lead Performance In A Play (Female)

Liezl de Kock as “Sussie Cilliers” – African Gothic

Michelle Mosalakae – Shoes & Coups

Natasha Sutherland as “Helen” – Meet me at Dawn

Nonceba Constance Didi as “Ruth” – Tshepang: The Third Testament

Pamela Nomvete as “Robyn” – Meet me at Dawn

Zikhona Sodlaka as “Queenie” – Nongogo

 

Best Lead Performance In A Play (Male)       

Daniel Janks – Odd Man Out

Dawid Minnaar- The Train Driver

John Kani – The Train Driver

Kai Luke Brummer as “Christopher Boone” – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Langley Kirkwood as “Eddie” – Fool for Love

Marcel Meyer as “Macbeth” – Macbeth

Mncedisi Shabangu – Tshepang: The Third Testament

 

Best Lead Performance In A Musical (Female)

Ashleigh Harvey as “Kate Monster & Lucy” – Avenue Q

Didintle Khunou as “Celie” – The Color Purple

Genna Galloway – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Kiruna-Lind Devar as “Snow White” – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

Kitty Harris, Morgan Santo & Lilla Fleischman as “Matilda” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Simphiwe Ndlovu as “Phindile” – Freedom

 

Best Lead Performance In A Musical (Male)

Aubrey Poo as “Mister” – The Color Purple

Paul du Toit as “Hedwig” – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Ryan de Villiers as “Miss Trunchbull” – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Ryan Flynn as “Princeton & Rod” – Avenue Q

Tshepo Ncokoane as “Prince Charming” – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

 

Best performance in a solo production: Female/Male

Daniel Mpilo Richards – Land Acts

Dawid Minnaar – Monsieur Ibrahim en die blomme van die Koran

Dorothy Ann Gould – The Year of Magical Thinking

Ignatius van Heerden – Nijinsky’s War

Leila Henriques – Florence

 

Best Ensemble

Avenue Q-  Prod. by VR Theatricals & Kosie Smit by arr. With DALRO, Written by Jeff Whitty, Dir. by Timothy le Roux

Dikakapa –  Prod. by The Market Theatre in ass. With DAC, Written by Issac E Sithole & Tebogo P Serapelo , Dir. by Nketu Lebeko (Mentor Dir. Mpho Molepo )

Hani: The Legacy –  Prod. by The Market Theatre Laboratory, Created by Graduates of The Market Theatre Laboratory, Dir. by Leila Henriques & assis. Dir. by Linda Tshabalala

Macbeth –  Prod. by Pieter Toerien, Written by William Shakespeare, Dir. by Fred Abrahamse

The Fall –  Prod. by The South African State Theatre in ass. With The Baxter Theatre Centre at the Unviversity of Cape Town,  Written by Ameera Conrad, Oarabile Ditsele, Kgomotso Khunoane, Tankiso Mamabolo, Thando Mangcu, Sihle Mnqwazana, Sizwesandile Mnisi & Cleo Raatus, Facilitated by Clare Stopford

The Little Prince – Prod. by Kwasha Theatre Company with the support of the Market Theatre Laboratory, the French Institute of South Africa & Mazars, Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,  Dir. by Clara Vaughan & Mwenya B. Kabwe

 

Best Original Score / Arrangement / Adaptation

Aubrey Sekhabi & Kabelo“Bonafide” Togoe – Freedom

Azah Mphago – Khwezi

Charl-Johan Lingenfelder – Macbeth

Jonathan Roxmouth – Great Balls of Fire

Yogin Sullaphen – Jungfrau

 

Best Musical Director                    

Dawid Boverhoff – Avenue Q

Kabelo “Bonafide” Togoe – Freedom

Louis Zurnamer – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

Rowan Bakker – The Color Purple

Wessel Odendaal – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

 

Best Original Choreography in a Play/ Musical

Ignatius van Heerden – Nijinsky’s War

Nketu Lebeko – Dikakapa

Mdu Nhlapo – Freedom

Oscar Buthelezi – The Color Purple

 

Best Production For Children & Young Audiences (Supported by Assitej SA) (Age 0 – 13)

Chiffonade –  Prod. by Lulu Mlangeni, Choreo & Dir. by Michelle Dhallu, Carre Blanc Cie

Goggas! –  Prod. by National Children’s Theatre, Written by Gillian Katz adapted by Francois Theron, Dir. by  Jade Bowers

Nutcracker Winter Circus –  Prod. by Lyall Ramsden, Choreo. by David Gouldie, Design by Andrew Botha

Our Stories our Africa –  Prod. by People’s Theatre , Dir. by Jill Girard & Keith Smith

The Boy who cried Ninja –  Prod. by Daphne Kuhn at the Auto & General Theatre on the Square and Contagious Theatre, Written by Alex Latimer adapted & Dir. by Jenine Collocott

 

Best Production For Children & Young Audiences (Supported by Assitej SA) (Age 14 – 17)

Hani: The Legacy –  Prod. by The Market Theatre Laboratory, Created by Graduates of The Market Theatre Laboratory, Dir. by Leila Henriques & assis. Dir. by Linda Tshabalala

My Children! My Africa! – Prod. by National Children’s Theatre, Written by Athol Fugard, Dir. by Siphumeze Khundayi

Polkadots – Prod. by Redhill School in partnership with &CO., Written by Melvin Tunstall III, Douglas Lyons, Greg Borowsky & Douglas Lyons, Dir. by Shelley Adriaanzen

Romeo’s Passion – Prod. by Umculo, Composed by Cathy Milliken, Dir. by Robert Lehmeier

The Little Prince – Prod. by Kwasha Theatre Company with the support of the Market Theatre Laboratory, the French Institute of South Africa & Mazars, Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,  Dir. by Clara Vaughan & Mwenya B. Kabwe

 

Best Performance In A Production For Children & Young Audiences (Male of Female) (Supported by Assitej SA)

Gugu Dlamini – Polkadots

Jaques De Silva – Goggas!

Luciano Zuppa – Our Stories Our Africa

Nirvana Nokwe- Mseleku – Under The Magical Moon

Toni Morkel – The boy who cried Ninja

 

Best Set Design: sponsored by DWR

Niall Griffin – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Sarah Roberts – The Color Purple

Stan Knight – Fool for Love

Thando Lobese-Moropa – The Train Driver

Wilhelm Disbergen – Freedom

 

Best Lighting Design: sponsored by Splitbeam

Fred Abrahamse – Macbeth

Gareth Hewitt Williams – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Mannie Manim – Fool for Love

Michael Maxwell – My hole my home

Thapelo Mokgosi – Dikakapa

Oliver Hauser – African Gothic

 

Best Sound Design : sponsored by Splitbeam

Akhona Bozo – Snow White: The fairest Pantomime in the Land

Ntuthuko Mbuyazi – Shoes & Coups

Ntuthuko Mbuyazi – Florence

Richard Smith – The Color Purple

Wessel Odendaal – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

 

Best AV / Animation Design

Gopala Davies – Nijinsky’s War

Lungile Cindi – Shoes & Coups

Naret Loots – Hedwig and the Angry inch

Tina Driedijk – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Wilhelm Disbergen – The Little Prince

 

Best Costume Design

Chrisna Scott & David Hutt – Nijinsky’s War

Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer – Macbeth

Niall Griffin – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Nthabiseng Malaka – Shoes & Coups

Sarah Roberts – The Color Purple

For all the winners, keep an eye on www.naleditheatreawards.com