Ex-Cambridge pupil up for Naledi award

GAMELIHLE Bovana has been dubbed “Mr Naledi” by friends and family after being nominated for the prestigious Naledi Theatre Awards for the second time in row.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch the former Cambridge High School matriculant said this was the sort of validation actors needed to prove that they were on the right track.

“The judges are well-known and respected practitioners who have extensive experience in the industry. A thumbs up from them is all the motivation one needs to keep working at the craft,” said Bovana.

The Naledi Awards are the premier awards event on the Gauteng theatre calendar.

The judges evaluate over 50 productions in roughly 21 categories.

Last year Bovana walked away with the award for best performance in a children’s theatre production for the work he did in the National Children’s Theatre’s (NCT) production of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach.

This year he has been nominated for same award for the work he did in a production based on the awardwinning book Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen which was adapted for theatre by Eli Bijaoui and directed by Francois Theron.

“I play the lion and the real blessing about this role, and what I think I owe my nomination to, is the fact that I didn’t speak throughout the show and that afforded me the opportunity to use my skills and not only rely on my voice. I really had to stretch myself,” he said.

Acting chairman of the Naledi Theatre Awards, Welcome Msomi, said the date for the event had not been determined as yet due to lack of funding.

“However, we are hoping to hear from potential sponsors very soon so that the much-coveted awards event can proceed as planned,” said Msomi. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za