Celebrating excellence
59 productions are in the running at the 55th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards
THE nominees have been announced for the 55th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. The winners will be announced at a glitzy ceremony on March 22, in which 59 productions are in the running for the top honours this year.
Some are well-known, and some are lesser-known – demonstrating yet again the diversity of the performing arts on the boards and, as recentlyappointed judging panel chairperson Africa Melane says: “the reflection of excellence in theatre”.
Among the contenders are shows such as the hit musical Aunty Merle: It’s a Girl!, the one person Confessions of a Mormon Boy of emerging out the closet as a queer man; the hugely popular musical Danger in the Dark about gangsterism and drug abuse in the townships; the acid-tongued sexual drama The Hucksters; the thought-provoking drama about displacement Every Year, Every Day, I’m Walking; the runaway hit Kinky Boots; and Kamphoer, the harrowing tale of a girl in the Boer War – portrayed in a tour de force performance by Sandra Prinsloo.
The long-standing awards are considered the leading performing arts competition and the springboard for many an up-and-coming actor or actress or performance.
The panel of judges that has the onerous task of assessing the diverse shows includes both veterans as well as newcomers. But they all share one thing in common – they are experts in their fields who are united by their respect of, and singular perspective on the performing arts. They include Dr Beverley Brommert, Maurice Carpede, Marina Griebenow, Thabo Makgolo, Mariana Malan, Roxy Marosa, Dr Wayne Muller, Tracey Saunders, Lwando Scott and Hadley Tituss, along with Melane.
Speaking to Melane about how the judges reached their decisions on the nominees and eventual winners, he says: “It’s always tricky to be part of the the process when you’re sitting around and judging and assessing what constitutes excellence.
“The panel is so tight and has to be not only representative of demographics, but each member has to be varied in their interests, be it a musical; contemporary theatre; we are also a very strong panel for judging student productions, some of which are very promising. We are always extremely conscious of who we award on that score as they are the leaders and shapers of tomorrow. In other words, there is the necessity to ensure the panel is reflective of wonderfully diverse tastes yet reach consensus on the decisions we make.
“So that is the beauty of the awards – there is consensus yet individualism – we can choose winners ranging from the big runaway success musical Kinky Boots to a play grounded in memory and a memorial like G7: Okwe-Bokhwe (like/of a goat),” he says, adding: “Mandla, the director of Okwe Bokwe, wrote the play about a memorial in Gugulethu, and gave it love and made it a stand-out show, and I as a person who grew up in the same area, can identify with it.
“It’s wonderful to have the expertise on the panel to identify that excellence in a play.”
Melane, who was appointed chairperson last year, is a living example of how theatre changed his life and injected him with an abiding passion.
“When I was in Grade 5, I went with my school to see a production of Ipi Tombi at the Baxter. The lights went out, and within 30 seconds, we were transported to KwaZulu-Natal – so my passion comes from seeing good work and that appreciation.”
Most people are familiar with listening to Melane as a lively and thought-provoking presenter on CapeTalk and Radio 702. Born in Gugulethu, he has lived in Cape Town all his life. He went to UCT, where he studied accounting before working with a business assurance and advisory company. He taught first-year MBChB class for a few years in professional and personal development before moving onto radio.
He said: “I was invited to be on the panel in 2011 and the opportunity gave me a very different ability – the awards come with a pedigree that
I felt I needed to contribute in an effective way.
“I am very proud of the panel. Every time I have sat in that room judging, people wear their hearts on their sleeves and sweat blood and tears. With theatre, we are incredibly lucky to be in the city of Cape Town and, chairing the panel – what an honour!
The awards will be presented in more than 20 categories and also pay tribute to stand-out innovation in theatre and a person who has made a lifetime achievement. Among the categories are best new South African script; and best new director; best theatre production for children and young people; best performance by a lead actress in a play; lead actor in a play; best director; best production and more.
The panel also watched more than 35 student performances during the year in tracking upcoming talent.
Melane says: “Mention must also be made of the incredible support of Distell which has supported the awards for 55 years.
“To have a company so dedicated to the arts when they are selling wine is incredible. The theatre awards are so incredible in keeping that vital part of the arts alive and recognising it.”
* The event breaks from tradition this year in that public tickets for the event, to be held at the Baxter Theatre on March 22, will not be available. Rather, the awards ceremony may be followed via the Fleur du Cap YouTube channel.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle