Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards Nominees Announced

Annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are set to be held on March 20th at 6pm at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town.

The nominees in the various categories for productions in 2011 are as follows:

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

Chris van Niekerk for Dinsdae by Morrie as Morrie Schwartz.

Nat Ramabulana for The Girl in the Yellow Dress as Pierre.

Thami Mbongo for Woyzeck as Woyzeck.

Warrick Grier for Blackbird as Ray.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

Antoinette Kellermann for As die Broek Pas as Max/Ella Gericke.

Jennifer Steyn for Molly Bloom as Molly.

Liezl de Kock for Womb Tide as The Wife.

Robyn Scott for London Road as Rose.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Bongile Mantsai for Woyzeck as Drum Major.

Graham Weir for Waiting for Godot as Lucky.

Guy de Lancey for Cosi as Roy Owen.

L Sejake for The Train Driver as Simon Hanabe.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emily Child for Cosi as Ruth.

Liz Szymczak for Endgame as Nell.

Louise Saint-Claire for Boeing, Boeing as Bertha.

Ntombi Makhutshi for London Road as Stella.

BEST DIRECTOR

Damon Galgut for Waiting for Godot. Lara Foot for Woyzeck.

Malcolm Purkey for The Girl in the Yellow Dress.

Marthinus Basson for As die Broek Pas.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A ONE-PERSON SHOW

Andrew Buckland for 1 man, 3 shows, 100 characters for various characters.

Antoinette Kellermann for As die Broek Pas as Ella/Max Gericke.

James Cairns for Dirt for various characters.

James Cairns for The Sitting Man for various characters.

BEST NEW SA SCRIPT

Afrikaaps - the cast.

The Girl in the Yellow Dress - Craig Higginson.

London Road - Nicholas Spagnoletti.

The Sitting Man - James Cairns.

ROSALIE VAN DER GUCHT PRIZE FOR NEW DIRECTORS

Bo Petersen - Blackbird.

Christiaan Olwagen - Woza Andries?

Francesco Nassimbeni - Done London

Scott Sparrow - Cosi.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN MUSICAL

Angela Kilian for Evita as Eva Peron.

Gina Shmukler for Mamma Mia! as Donna Sheridan.

Ilse Klink for Mamma Mia! as Rosie.

James Borthwick for Evita as Juan Peron.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE OR CABARET

Godfrey Johnson for The Shadow of Brel as Jacques Brel.

Michele Maxwell for C'est la Vie. Moenier Adams for Afrikaaps as Monox.

Pieter-Dirk Uys for FAK Songs and Other Struggle Anthems as Bambi Kellermann.

BEST DESIGN

Leopold Senekal for Aesop's Fables for Costume Design and Woyzeck for Costume and Set Design.

Marthinus Basson for Anthony and Cleopatra for Costume Design.

Craig Leo and Emilie Starke for Womb Tide for Prop Design.

Faheem Bardien for Antony and Cleopatra for Lighting Design.

BEST STUDENT AWARD

De Klerk Oelofse from University of Stellenbosch.

Johan Botha from University of Stellenbosch.

Lerato Motshwarakgo from UCT.

Nicholas Campbell from UCT.

Pierre Nelson from University of Stellenbosch.

The Fleur du Cap Awards are an initiative of the Distell Foundation and part of Distell's corporate social investment programme. For the past 40 years Distell, one of the leading liquor companies in South Africa , has sponsored the performing arts through the foundation.

The annual awards, originally established in the Western Cape in 1967 and known then as the Three Leaf Awards, are given to professional theatre productions staged in the Cape Metropole . In 1978 the prize was renamed after Fleur du Cap, one of Distell's many well-known wine brands.

The foundation works with a panel of judges chaired by a non-voting chairman. Our current team is made up of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators. These are Len Ashton, Denise Bester, Beverley Brommert, Robert Greig, Marina Griebenow, Marian Malan, Brent Meersman, Ivor Price, Wilhelm Snyman, Marianne Thamm, Peter Tromp and Herman van der Westhuizen, Our chairman is Conrad Sidego, veteran journalist and ex diplomat. The Foundation is represented by Fleur du Cap Awards manager, Irma Albers.

How the Fleur du Cap Awards work

Judges are appointed by invitation from the Distell Foundation. When a panel member resigns the foundation and existing panel members nominate new panel members. Judges may not be affiliated to a theatre or have any interests in any of the theatres or venues where judging takes place. Judges see between 80 and 100 productions a year and do so voluntarily.

Productions staged at professional theatres including The Baxter (all venues), HB Thom, UCT Arena, UCT Little Theatre, Artscape Theatre Complex (all venues), Oude Libertas Amphitheatre, Maynardville, the Theatre on the Bay, Spier Amphitheatre, On Broadway and the Joseph Stone Theatre are considered. As the theatre landscape is dynamic, additional venues will appear on the list from time to time.

Judges are only able to attend productions with a run of two weeks or more. While every attempt is made to view work that is staged for shorter runs or at festivals, these are not included in the final judging.

The Foundation arranges with the theatres or managements concerned for panel members to be invited to opening nights of productions. Judges who cannot attend opening nights are expected to make alternative arrangements to view a production.

The Distell Foundation determines the prize monies for each category. Awards this year each carry a R15 000 cash prize as well as a sought-after silver medallion.

The winner of the category Most Promising Student' will not be awarded a medallion, but will receive a cash prize. The prestigious Special Merit Award does not have any monetary value at present.

Voting procedures

The Distell Foundation sets a date of the presentation of the awards. In December nomination forms are forwarded to judges and each judge nominates two candidates in each of the categories. Completed nomination forms are returned to the foundation during the first week of January.

The nomination and winners' meetings are held during the last weekend of January. At these meetings nominations are vigorously discussed. A list of nominees/finalists and winners is selected by secret ballot, collated by the chairman and a representative of the foundation.

The panel can withhold the presentation of an award in any specific category if no suitable candidate has been nominated.