Soapie stars play pass the trophy
● An award ceremony featuring an unknown “superstar” who lip-syncs on stage, where you don’t get to keep the trophy and where envelopes are swapped? Ouch, the 2018 Royalty Soapie Awards will go down as this year’s night to remember for all the wrong reasons.
We were gathered on Wednesday evening at the convention centre of Emperors Palace, that casino-cum-entertainment complex in the shadow of OR Tambo International Airport on Gauteng’s East Rand, for what the invite declared would be a night behind the glitz and glamour of the drama serials which still keep many of us glued to the box.
At the pre-awards cocktail party, one of the first people I see is someone who hasn’t appeared in a soapie for 14 years: Dini Nondumo, the former Generations and Backstage star, who arrived with his chartered accountant wife Karabo.
Dini tells me that these days he spends his time behind the camera, producing shows for SABC2 and KykNet.
Another blast from the past is Alan Ford, who back in the day produced Gareth Cliff’s 702 radio show and who these days has a gig on his old buddy’s Cliff Central online station.
In sashays ex-Muvhango actor Mutodi Neshehe, whose personal life reads like a telenovela storyline following an acrimonious split from his wife, Leslee, last year.
Mutodi isn’t alone, though, arriving on the arm of former journo, now department of social development director, Nomfundo XuluLentsoane.
Are you a couple? I have to ask, to which Nomfundo replies: “We’re good friends.” Mmkay …
Nomfundo introduces me to Thembi Nyandeni, who plays the hard-as-nails matriarch on one of the night’s nominated shows, Isibaya, and who is oblivious to the fact that she herself is nominated.
“I have so many awards I don’t have any more space,” jokes the actress, who is resplendent in a flowing white gown. “I just came here to socialise.”
Then it’s greeting another of the night’s nominees, Motlatsi Mafatshe of Isidingo, who arrives with his gorgeous wife Millicent, wearing an eye-catching dress she designed herself.
In walks the lady of the hour, Winnie Ntshaba, who is the founder of the awards, which were last held in 2015 and were meant to take place early this year but were postponed.
Many of you, though, will know her as the Generations actress who played Khethiwe the domestic worker — and who recently returned to our screens as a woman with supernatural powers in Mzansi Magic’s The Herd.
Sadly, though, Winnie is unable to clean up the mess or cast a spell when proceedings get under way at the Marcellus Theatre.
Things get off to a good start at the David Bloch-produced show with an interesting take on D’banj’s hit Oliver Twist before funnyman Mpho Popps welcomes us.
“I know we disappeared for two years, but in true soapie fashion the organisers had an accident and they forgot, but their memory came back. Except we are not going to call it The Royalty Soapie Awards: The Legacy,” he jokes.
Nothing funny, though, when the first award, for outstanding art direction, is handed to Afrikaans soapie Binnelanders, but, after the recipients are seated back in the audience, they are asked to hand back the gong as — wait for it — there is only one physical trophy to hand out on the night. Ouch!
From there things get so messy that no amount of soap suds can clean up the froth — from co-presenters who banter too much instead of handing out that lonesome trophy to a little-known artist called Steven Lee who performs his very catchy song but clearly hails from the Britney Spears lip-syncingon-stage school.
Then there’s that mix-up which sees presenters Terence Bridgett and Gauteng MEC Faith Mazibuko meant to hand out the viewers-voted Most Popular Soapie award, but being given the envelope for the judges-voted Outstanding Soapie award instead.
Although the correct winners are announced — Isibaya getting the judges’ nod and SABC1’s Skeem Saam finding favour with the public — the mistake makes things even more confusing.
Mpho, though, does his best to make light of the situation, quipping: “We are just shifting envelopes. This is what happens in this ‘cow-ntry’ … as long as KPMG doesn’t audit us, we are fine.”
I won’t mull over why Winnie’s old gig Generations didn’t crack any nods, let alone nominations, but what I can tell you is that all wasn’t lost because Motlatsi walked away with the Outstanding Lead Actor award and Mam’Thembi now has a storage issue after being named Outstanding Lead Actress.
It was also great to see actor Don Mlangeni-Nawa, who you might remember as Zeb Matabane from Isidingo, land the night’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which was handed out by perhaps the night’s most glamorous lady, Winnie’s old Generations colleague Sophie Lichaba (formerly Ndaba).