East Cape theatre artists recognised as SA’s best
Talented pair honoured with awards from online magazine
APAIR of young Eastern Cape artists are starting the year on a high note by being named winners in an online theatre magazine’s annual awards for 2017. SA Theatre Magazine is an informal monthly online magazine. Its editor, Vianney Farmer, gives recognition to artists through the annual SA Theatre Magazine awards in a number of categories.
Port Elizabeth illusionist Brendon Peel, 24, was named “Performer of the Year” and Rhodes University masters drama student Thembela Madliki, also 24, won “Best Emerging Director” award for her play Bayephi.
Peel is particularly thrilled as his competition included professional dancers and choreographers and a provocative performance artist.
“In the ‘best performer category’ I was up against Ignatius van Heerden, Gavin Krastin and Mamela Nyamza, all of whom are fantastic and innovative performers, and I genuinely did not think I would take the award,” Peel said.
“There are some seriously big household theatre names on the list, as well as popular theatre venues and festivals.”
The award was the cherry on top for the young star who was nominated for three different awards, two by SATmag and one by the Cape Town Fringe.
“2017 was a crazy but chaotically beautiful year and the entire run of my latest show Mysteries of the Mind [presented in December in Port Elizabeth], was a near completely sold out run.”
Peel was also nominated for the Fresh Creative Award by the Cape Town Fringe as well as for the best production (outside theatre) for his show, Hocus Pocus.
Madliki, who comes from King William’s Town, is a freelance director who finished her Rhodes Master Drama degree last year and also won a Standard Bank Ovation Award for Bayephi at last year’s National Arts Festival. “It was very humbling to get this award as I have always wanted to be a theatre director, so this is motivating me for the future,” Madliki said.
She said that she did not take it lightly that “people have been so receptive of my work”.
Bayephi is about finding peace after the disappearance of a loved one, dealing with the loss as well as the desperation that comes with keeping their memory alive and the journey of finding peace without
There are seriously big household theatre names on the list
closure. “I am very expressive and emotional as a director, and as such my play carries a lot of symbolism in its many props,” Madliki said at the time of the Ovation accolade.
“For me this story resonates with the story of activists who lost their lives in foreign lands and whose spirits and those of their families, remain restless.” This week Madliki was already back on stage, starting rehearsals for a new play.
SATMag also tips Madliki as a young director to watch out for in the future, with another of her university productions, Nyanga, a South African take on a classic play, The Crucible by Arthur Millar, winning a student festival award.
She is also one of the Next Generation leaders for Assitej, a youth theatre development programme.
SATMag also gave Rhodes University the award for best student production for its presentation of Cult Clit, which explored black female sexuality.