2022 – The year the Lights came back on in theatres. 2022, for many, was the year that theatre bounced back after the COVID pandemic. The Naledi Theatre Awards judging panels saw over 100 productions across all genres of the performing arts.
- The Board of the Naledi Theatre Awards profusely apologies for any glitches that crept into the Nominations list. As always we try to be as accurate as possible but sometimes the information received is not that accurate. We hereby post the updated list as at 28 March 2023 with luckily only a few errors corrected. Congratulations to all the Nominees and we look forward to hosting you on the 22nd May at the Joburg Theatre Mandela Stage.
Lihan Pretorius, the CEO of the Naledi Theatre Awards, said “Covid has shown our industry a new way forward in presenting productions. There has been a marked upturn in the number of plays produced, with many of them being solo performances.” He continued “the quality of work has been exceptional, with practitioners really honing their craft and maximising minimum budgets”. Renos Spanoudes, the head of the judging panels said, “Producers have really gone all out to ensure production values are kept to a very high standard. Across the board we have seen performing arts practitioners manage to lure the general public back to theatre again after a long hiatus, where for a while only the diehard theatre goers ventured out to see productions.”
“We have seen so many really exceptional works – both indigenous South African pieces, as well as international works with South African performers” said Board member, Chris Avant Smith.
The judges were faced with extremely hard choices due to the calibre of work and in the end they relied on the sentinel tenant of the Naledi Theatre Awards, Celebrating Excellence in Theatre.
The nominations were announced this afternoon, 27 March 2023 at 17h00 at a small event, held at the Lesedi at the Joburg Theatre Complex, with some wine generously sponsored by Distell.
It is with great pleasure that the Naledi Theatre Awards – on World Theatre Day – announce the nominations for works produced in 2022, as follows:
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES (Aged 0-13) – SUPPORTED BY ASSTEJ SA
Annie Jr. (Pretoria Youth Theatre)
Balloonacy (National Children’s Theatre)
Innocence Lost (National Children’s Theatre)
Kids Of Amandla Street (The Kwasha Theatre Company)
The Little Mermaid Jr. (People’s Theatre)
Under The Baobab Tree (National Children’s Theatre)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
Craig Morris (Balloonacy – National Children’s Theatre)
Jay Hlatswayo (Seussical Jr – National Children’s Theatre)
Luciano Zuppa (The Little Mermaid Jr – People’s Theatre at The Joburg Theatre)
Madelein Pienaar (Hope The Rhino – National Children’s Theatre)
Noni Mkhonto (The Little Mermaid Jr – People’s Theatre at The Joburg Theatre)
BEST PRODUCTION: INDEPENDENT-/FRINGE THEATRE
Cruise (HIV@40 at Theatre Linden)
Johnnie Motsamai (Joburg Theatre)
Seeing Other People (Martin Grendele and Hira Lodhi)
What was is no more (Joburg Theatre)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN INDEPENDENT-/FRINGE THEATRE PRODUCTION
Daniel Geddes (Cruise – HIV@40 at Theatre Linden)
James Netherlands (Seeing Other People – Martin Grendele and Hira Lodhi)
Khanyisile Ngwabe (What was is no more – Joburg Theatre)
Martin Grendele (Seeing Other People – Martin Grendele and Hira Lodhi)
Nthabeleng Masudubele (Johnnie Motsamai – Joburg Theatre)
BEST PRODUCTION: STUDENT THEATRE
Cabaret (Redhill School)
Come Together (LAMTA)
Nesting Flight (Oakfields College)
Sister Act (Oakfields College)
Ticket to Broadway (King David Victory Park)
Whistleblowers (AFDA)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A STUDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION
Nicolas Hattingh (Cabaret – Redhill School)
Noluthando Mathebula (Sister Act – Oakfields College)
Robert Everson (Come Together – LAMTA)
Samkelo Fonte (Nesting Flight – Oakfields College)
BEST PRODUCTION: DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND BALLET
Demi Sapien (WILLSIDE)
Ingress (MOVING INTO DANCE)
Isenyuso (Thami Tshabalala at The South African State Theatre (Kucheza Festival))
La Traviata (Joburg Ballet)
Lyf (KMAD DANCE COMPANY)
Moya (Zip Zap Circus)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND BALLET PRODUCTION
Lindé Wessels (Lyf – KMAD DANCE COMPANY)
Oscar Buthelezi (Ingress – MOVING INTO DANCE at Joburg Theatre)
Phelelani Ndakrokra (Moya – Zip Zap Circus)
Thami Tshabalala (Isenyuso – Thami Tshabalala at The South African State Theatre (Kucheza Festival))
Vincent Mantsoe (SoliiDaD – Joburg Theatre and Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe)
Xola Willie (Lyf – KMAD DANCE COMPANY)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Berenice Barbier (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Gloucester Productions)
Jennifer Steyn (The Beauty Queen of Leenane – How Now Brown Cow Productions)
Masego Modiba (Pelegi – The South African State Theatre)
Ontlametse Masilo (Pelegi – The South African State Theatre)
Shoki Mmola (Ruined – The Market Theatre)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Josias dos Moleele (Bloke and his American Bantu – UJ Arts & Culture in association with the Sello Maake kaNcube Foundation)
Marlo Minnaar (The Brothers Size – The Market Theatre)
Nhlakanipho Manqele (The Brothers Size – The Market Theatre)
Sanda Shandu (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Gloucester Productions)
Sven Ruygrok (The Beauty Queen of Leenane – How Now Brown Cow Productions)
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Boitumelo Morule (Pelegi – The South African State Theatre)
Jordan Human (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Lihle Ngubo (The Lesson – The Market Theatre)
Micah Stojakovic (Sinbad – Montecasino and Kickstart Productions)
Michaela Tucker (If a tree falls… – Penny Kreitzer, Opher Lewin and Malcolm Purkey at Theatre Linden)
Vash Singh (Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp – Astrid Productions)
Zoë McLaughlin (The Last Five Years – Tally Ho! Productions)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A PLAY OR MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Bertwin D’Souza & Priyen Naidoo (Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp – Astrid Productions)
Gregory Maqoma (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
Ignatius van Heerden (Birthing Nureyev – Leftfoot Productions)
Khaya Ndlovu (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Lihle Nene (Sifu – The Market Theatre)
Mandla Mngwevu (The Red on the Rainbow – The South African State Theatre)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE / MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS
Anton Luitingh (The Trolley Dollies – The Triplets of Bellville – Deviant Theatricals)
Coenie de Villiers & Mauritz Lotz (Karoo Suite 2: Karoonagte – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Dawid Boverhoff (Brel/Piaf – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Johan Vorster & Jacomien de Wet (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Sne Dladla, Zolani Shangase, Dionne Song & Viwe Mkizwana (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Zusakhe Ngqame (Pelegi – The South African State Theatre)
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDSCAPE
Billy Maboa (Sifu – The Market Theatre)
Lungiswa Plaatjies (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Franco Prinsloo (Plesierengel – Leftfoot Theatre Productions and The Centurion Theatre)
Vangile Z. Mpumlwana (The Lesson – The Market Theatre)
Sydney Mavundla & Volley Nchabeleng (The Red on the Rainbow – The South African State Theatre)
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Coenie de Villiers & Mauritz Lotz (Karoo Suite 2 – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Dale-Ray Scheepers (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Dawid Boverhoff (Brel/Piaf – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Francois Lessing (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Jaco Griessel (The Last Five Years – Tally Ho! Productions)
Dale Ray Scheepers, Viwe Mkizwana & Zolani Shangase (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SOLO PRODUCTION
Bryan Schimmel (More Than a Handful – VR Theatrical in ass. with Lorri Strauss and Daphne Kuhn)
Charlie Bouguenon (Hans steek die Rubicon oor – Leftfoot Theatre Productions)
Ignatius van Heerden (Birthing Nureyev – Leftfoot Productions)
Khutjo Green (Country Duty – Daphne Kuhn and Theatre on the Square)
Peter Terry (At all costs – Daphne Kuhn and Theatre on the Square)
Ruan Wessels (Plesierengel – Leftfoot Theatre Productions and The Centurion Theatre)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SOLO COMEDY PRODUCTION (WITH ELEMENTS OF STAND-UP)
Marc Lottering (Uncle Marc – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Mark Banks (Mask About Face – Daphne Kuhn and Theatre On The Square)
Alan Committie (Live and Let Laugh – Gloucester Productions)
Nik Rabonowitz (Unmuted – Daphne Kuhn and Theatre On The Square)
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Amanda Strydom, André Schwartz, Dawid Boverhoff & Coenraad Rall (Brel/Piaf – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Brendan van Rhyn, Christopher Dudgeon & Rudi Jansen (The Trolley Dollies – The Triplets of Bellville – Deviant Theatricals)
Coenie de Villiers, Deon Meyer & Mauritz Lotz (Karoo Suite 2 – Karoonagte – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Ensemble (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Ensemble (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY
Ensemble (Pelegi – The South African State Theatre)
Cast (Sifu – The Market Theatre)
Cast (The Drowning Eye – The Kwasha Theatre Company)
Cast (The Red on the Rainbow – The South African State Theatre)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anjil Naidoo, Priyen Naidoo, Jerry D’Souza & Bipin Tanna (Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp – Astrid Productions)
Brendan van Rhyn, Christopher Dudgeon & Rudi Jansen (The Trolley Dollies – The Triplets of Bellville – Deviant Theatricals)
Bronwen Lovegrove (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Charles J. Fourie (The Parrot Woman – The Market Theatre)
University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Papy Kaluw – Urban Zulu (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Steven Stead and Shanthi Naidoo (Sinbad – Montecasino and Kickstart Productions)
BEST THEATRE SET DESIGN
Birrie le Roux (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Greg King (Sinbad – Montecasino and Kickstart Productions)
Greg King (The Beauty Queen of Leenane – How Now Brown Cow Productions)
Jade Bowers (The Parrot Woman – The Market Theatre)
Karabo Legoabe (Ruined – The Market Theatre)
BEST THEATRE AV DESIGN
Andrew Timm (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Andrew Timm (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
Disrupt Media (Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp – Astrid Productions)
Naret Loots (Birthing Nureyev – Leftfoot Productions)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Bobby Heaney & Francois van der Hoven (Fordsburg’s Finest – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Hlomohang Mothetho (The Red on the Rainbow – The South African State Theatre)
Oliver Hauser (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
Phuti Matuba (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Simon King (The Brothers Size – The Market Theatre)
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Adriaan van der Walt (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Akhona Bozo (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Les Javan (Joanie Galant-Hulle – The Market Theatre)
Ntuthuko Mbuyazi (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Pieter-Louis van Twisk (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Vangile Z. Mpumlwana (The Lesson – The Market Theatre)
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Gregory Maqoma (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
Janice Honeyman (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Janice Honeyman (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Jannes Erasmus (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Steven Stead (Sinbad – Montecasino and Kickstart Productions)
BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Charmaine Weir-Smith (The Beauty Queen of Leenane – How Now Brown Cow Productions)
Greg Homann (The Lesson – The Market Theatre)
James Ngcobo (The Brothers Size – The Market Theatre)
Janice Honeyman (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Robert Whitehead (Hansard – Troupe Theatre Company in ass. with Daphne Kuhn)
Sylvaine Strike (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Gloucester Productions)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: FEMALE
Ilse Klink (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Michelle Botha (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Momo Matsunyane (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Zoricke Snyman (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: MALE
Ben Voss (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
David Johnson (Janice Honeyman’s Adventures in Pantoland – Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay)
Eddie de Jager (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
King B (Third World Express – Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
Sibusiso Mxosana (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: FEMALE
Amanda Strydom (Brel/Piaf – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Bernice West (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Manakomba Ndimande (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Stephanie Baartman (Music of the Night – Ticket to the Moon)
Zoë McLaughlin (The Last Five Years – Tally Ho! Productions)
BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: MALE
André Schwartz (Brel/Piaf – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Anthony Downing (The Last Five Years – Tally Ho! Productions)
Coenie de Villiers (Karoo Suite 2 – Karoonagte – Pieter Toerien Productions)
Johan Vorster (Die Gelofte – AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Sandisile Dlangalala (Hlakanyana – The Musical – UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Fiona Ramsay (Hansard – Troupe Theatre Company in ass. with Daphne Kuhn)
Gontse Ntshegang (The Parrot Woman – The Market Theatre)
Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala (Ruined – The Market Theatre)
Julie-Anne McDowell (The Beauty Queen of Leenane – How Now Brown Cow Productions)
Kim Cloete (Joanie Galant-Hulle – The Market Theatre)
Robyn Scott (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Gloucester Productions)
BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Alan Committie (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Gloucester Productions)
Graham Hopkins (Hansard – Troupe Theatre Company in ass. with Daphne Kuhn)
John Kani (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Katlego Chale (The Brothers Size – The Market Theatre)
Michael Richard (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Paul Slabolepszy (Fordsburg’s Finest – Pieter Toerien Productions)
BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT
Deon Meyer (Karoo Suite 2 – Karoonagte – Pieter Toerien Productions)
John Kani (Kunene and the King – Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
Leon van Nierop (Plesierengel – Leftfoot Theatre Productions and The Centurion Theatre)
Monageng Motshabi (The Red on the Rainbow – The South African State Theatre)
Peter Terry (At all costs – Daphne Kuhn and Theatre on the Square)
Siphiwo Mahala (Bloke and his American Bantu – UJ Arts & Culture in association with the Sello Maake kaNcube Foundation)
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Hansard (Troupe Theatre Company in ass. with Daphne Kuhn)
Kunene and the King (Joburg Theatre and John Kani Productions)
The Beauty Queen of Leenane (How Now Brown Cow Productions)
The Brothers Size (The Market Theatre)
The Parrot Woman (The Market Theatre)
The Red on the Rainbow (The South African State Theatre)
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL/MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Brel/Piaf (Pieter Toerien Productions)
Die Gelofte (AfriForum Teater and Inhoud Huis Musiek)
Hlakanyana – The Musical (UJ Arts & Culture and Madevu Entertainment)
Sinbad (Montecasino and Kickstart Productions)
The Trolley Dollies – The Triplets of Bellville (Deviant Theatricals)
Third World Express (Joburg Theatre and Shadrack Bokaba)
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