Fleur du Cap Winners Announced in Cape Town, South Africa

The prestigious 48th annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards took place at the Artscape Theatre last night, Sunday March 17, 2013.It was a glamorous red carpet event, attended by celebrities, VIP's and the crème de la crème of the South African theatre scene. Top South African comedian Alan Committee hosted the onstage proceedings with great humour and flair. Africa Melane, a Fleur du Cap panel member and Capetalk presenter was his co-host for the evening.

Lara Bye, a previous Fleur du Cap winner, directed the onStage Entertainment this year which followed a beautiful and moving classical theme, marked by outstanding performances by opera diva Zanne Stapelberg, the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Cape Town Opera's Voices of the Nation Ensemble, Dance for All, iKapa Dance Theatre and Sierre Leonean-born ballerina, Michaela DePrince, who is presently with the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ballet and a guest artist with the SA Mzansi Ballet in Johannesburg. Thando Doni, a recipient of the 2012 Emerging Director's Bursary supported by Distell, assisted Ms. Bye as Co-Director. The Distell Foundation assists all these groups and organisations in support of talent development. "We believe that with adequate support, long-term careers in the performing arts are achievable as aspiring individuals or groups who, due to lack of support, personal background or circumstance would not have been able to achieve their greatest potential," says Irma Albers, Distell's Art and Culture Controller.
Awards for productions staged in 2012 were given in 20 different categories.

The winners, each receiving a silver medallion and a R15000 cash prize, are as follows:

Best Director: Yael Farber for MIES JULIE
Best New South African Script: CHAMP by Louis Viljoen
Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play: Quanita Adams for BOESMAN & LENA as Lena
Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play: Elton Landrew for BOESMAN & LENA as Boesman
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play: Thoko Ntshinga for MIES JULIE as Christine
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play: Mbulelo Grootboom for JUST BUSINESS as Mabuso
Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show: Samantha Peo for CABARET as Sally Bowles
Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show: Dean Balie for KAT AND THE KINGS as Young Kat Diamond
Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical or Music Theatre Show: ChaRon Williams-Ros for CABARET as Fräulein Schneider
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical or Music Theatre Show: Peter Court for CABARET as Herr Schultz
Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-Person Show: James Cuningham for SUNDAY MORNING as Mat
Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for Best New Director: Kim Kerfoot for STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT
Best Sound Design, Original Music Composition or Original Score: Daniel Pencer and Matthew Pencer for MIES JULIE - (Original Music Composition)
Best Costume Design: Angela Nemov for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Best Set Design: Fred Abrahamse for KINGDOM OF EARTH
Best Lighting Design: Paul Abrams for MIED JULIE
Award for Most Promising Student: Roelof Storm (UCT)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Richard Kearns
Award for Innovation in Theatre: Mandla Mbothwe
People's Choice Award: I AM HAMLET

The Fleur du Cap judging panel is made up of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators, who base their decisions on having viewed close to 100 productions over twelve months, in several venues in and around Cape Town. The 2012 panel, chaired by Melanie Burke, included Africa Melane, Coreen Lloyd, Denise Bester, Dr Beverley Brommert, Dr Gabriel Bothma, Gillian Mitchell, Herman van der Westhuizen, Jill Markram, Len Ashton, Mariana Malan, Marina Griebenow, Peter Tromp, Rone Arendse and Wayne Muller. All voting processes are audited and are overseen by the legal firm Cluver Markotter Inc.

For the first time this year, the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards introduced a new mobile voting application for the People's Choice Award. The App enables the public to vote for their favourite production during a calendar year. People who voted stood a chance to win a Gourmet Dinner for four, paired by Fleur du Cap wines and prepared by a chef from Dish Food & Social in the comfort of their home or at a place of their choice. The winner is yet to be announced.

The public is encouraged to attend various theatre productions in Cape Town area this year, so as to vote for the next People's Choice Award, thus standing a chance to win this superb prize next year.

The next Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards will be held in March 2014. People can follow the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards on Facebook to stay updated with theatre news and share their theatre experiences. The Twitter handle is @FleurduCapTheatreAward.