I don’t know how the judges make these decisions, it must be agonising. So many talented people do get left out and there is always contraversy. I think anyone making theatre in South Africa in these challenging financial times deserves an award and a big bottle of wine!

I am delighted to have been able to capture so many of these productions. The awards will be announced on the 18th March 2012.

1. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Antony Sher for Broken Glass as Phillip Gellburg
Carel Nel for Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey as Lafras Verwey
Dawid Minnaar for Purgatorio as A man
Khayalethu Anthony for Solomon & Marion as Solomon Xaba

Anthony Sher & Susan Danford

Carel Nel in Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey

Dawid Minnaar in Purgatorio

Khayalethu Anthony in Solomon & Marion

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Antoinette Kellerman for Klaasvakie as Julienne
Janet Suzman for Solomon & Marion as Marion Banning
Susan Danford for Broken Glass as Sylvia Gellburg
Wilna Snyman for Klaasvakie as Albertine

3. BEST PERFORMACE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Andrew Laubscher for Lovborg’s Women as Various
David Dennis for The Tragedy of Richard III as Edward IV and others
Jeroen Kranenburg for After Cardenio as Town Crier/Don Quixote
Owen Sejake for Die Kaptein se Tier as Donkieman

Andrew Laubsher in Lovborg's Women

Owen Sejake in Die Kaptein se Tier

4. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Anthea Thompson for Broken Glass as Margaret Hyman
Louise St Claire for The History Boys as Mrs Lintott
Nicole Holm for Klaasvakie as Verpleegster
Tinarie van Wyk Loots for A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania

Anthea Thompson in Broken Glass

Tinarie van Wyk Loots in A Midsummer Night's Dream

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSICAL THEATRE MUSIEKTEATER
Cito for Jesus Christ Superstar as Jesus
Eben Genis for Die kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W as Daan
Jonathan Roxmouth for Phantom of the Opera as The Phantom
Marc Lottering for Some like it Vrot as Smiley

Marc Lottering as Shmiley

6.BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSICAL THEATRE
Magdalene Minnaar for The Phantom of the Opera as Christine
Nadine for Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene
Nicole Holm for Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anastasia Was Sus
Robin Botha for The Phantom of the Opera as Christine

7. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSICAL THEATRE
Abduraghman Adams for Some Like It Vrot as Big Bucks
Anthony Downing for Phantom Of the Opera as Raoul
Jason Ralph for The Phantom of the Opera as Monsieur André
Jonathan Roxmouth for Jesus Christ Superstar as Judas Iscariot

Abduraghman Adams in Some Like it Vrot

8. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSICAL THEATRE

Angela Killian for Phantom of the Opera as Madame Giry
Hanlee Louw for Phantom of the Opera as Carlotta / Mme Firmin
Kate Normington for Love Loss and What I Wore as Various
Pauline du Plessis for Phantom of the Operaas Carlotta / Mme Firmin

9. BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET AND OR SOLO PERFORMANCE
Anthea Thompson for Seashells as Ella
Jonathan Roxmouth for Hats Off! as the Lead
Pieter-Dirk Uys for Desperate First Ladies as Various
Nicola Hanekom for Hol as Liesbet

10. MOST PROMISING STUDENT AWARD
Brian Robson from the University of Stellenbosch
Greta Pietersen from the University of Stellenbosch
Ludwig Binge from the University of Stellenbosch
Nini Conradie from the University of Stellenbosch

11. BEST DIRECTOR
Albert Maritz for Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey
Clare Stopford for Purgatorio
Lara Foot for Solomon & Marion
Marthinus Basson for Klaasvakie

12. BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Fred Abrahamse for The Tragedy of Richard III
Mannie Manim for Solomon & Marion
Mannie Manim for Ouroboros
Patrick Curtis for Purgatorio

Lighting by Patrick Curtis

13. BEST SET AND OR PROPS DESIGN
Fred Abrahamse The Tragedy of Richard III
Patrick Curtis Solomon & Marion
Saul Radomsky Some like it Vrot
Saul Radomsky The Bird Watchers

Set Design by Patrick Curtis

Set Design by Saul Radomsky

Set Design by Saul Radomsky

14. BEST COSTUME AND OR MASK DESIGN
Craig Leo for Some like it Vrot
Marcel Meyer for The Tragedy of Richard III
Marthinus Basson for Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anastasia W
Tinarie van Wyk Loots for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Costume Design by Craig Leo

Costume Design by Tinarie van Wyk Loots

15. BEST SOUND DESIGN AND OR ORIGINAL SCORE

Charl-Johan Lingenfelder for The Tragedy of Richard III
Daniel Eppel for Ouroboros
James Webb for The Bird Watchers
Mr Cat and the Jackal & Braam du Toit for Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anastasia W

16. BEST PUPPETRY DESIGN
Dicky Longhurst for The Taming of the Shrew
Gavin Younge for After Cardenio
Hilette Stapelberg / Izelle Grobler for The Tragedy of Richard III
Janni Younge for Ouroboros

Puppet Design by Janni Younge

17. BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN PLAY
Burnt by Ian Bruce
Hol by Nicola Hanekom
Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anastasia W by Marlene van Niekerk
Solomon & Marion by Lara Foot

Directed by Jonathan Munby, the play examines the intricate concept of identity, the age-old question of “nature versus nurture” and the highly controversial concept of human cloning.

This production (unexpectedly) really made me push my camera to it’s limits. There were a number (excuse the pun) of photographic challenges to try and capture a variety of interesting shots.

I love this one because it was literally “a shot in the dark”, one where you keep snapping with a small chance that you might capture something without being able to see. Two beams of light move around the stage rather quickly during a scene change and I caught one as it moved over Tim West. Magic! Like capturing a firefly, so exciting.

Timothy West in A NUMBER at The Fugard Theatre

We are very fortunate to have a production of this calibre in Cape Town at the moment, thanks to Eric Abraham and The Fugard theatre for bringing it to our doorstep. The London reviewers say:

***** ‘Theatre at its powerful best’ The Sunday Times
***** ‘A sensational play in every sense’ Sunday Express
**** ‘The West dynasty thrives” The Times
**** ‘Superb acting from the Wests’ Evening Standard
**** ‘Jonathan Munby’s riveting revival’ Mail on Sunday

If you’d like to see more, there are photos of rehearsals and production on my website.

The festival has a strong ‘green/ec0/planet friendly’ contingent this year & I was delighted to come across this crocheted coral wall at the Magnet Theatre.

It’s called the Woodstock Art Reef Project, a satellite project connected to the worldwide Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project. ” a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world.”

It’s voluntary and it’s gorgeous!  If you would like to be an eco-warrior with a crochet needle, you can find out more about the Cape Town group here.

It was a great privilege to spend the last few weeks of 3 years living in London, working on the West End, and exploring these side streets and all of their treasures.

If photos like this are right up your side street, then check out Simon Annand’s book, The Half, filled with beautiful portraits of actors in that focused half hour before curtain goes up.

Written by Ariel Dorfman                                                                                         Directed by Clare Stopford                                                                                                   Designed by Leopold Senekal                                                                                               Lighting Design: Patrick Curtis                                                                                      Visual Score: Kai Lossgott                                                                                               Wardrobe & Props: Koos Marais

I love interesting textures, the more aged and weathered, the better. They tell a history of a place or object and if you look really closely, can have wonderful sculptural qualities. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been lucky enough to have some really interesting textures playing a supporting role to the productions I have been  photographing.

And so without further ado, I present textures from The Birdwatchers supporting the cast of Sean Taylor, Dorothy Ann Gould and Guy de Lancey in a play by Athol Fugard.

Textures from nature, although only one of the four above is natural…  can you tell which one?

Next on the bill, are the wonderful supporting walls of the Little Theatre

Yes, they are not the prettiest, and I must admit they have spoilt quite a few good shots. So last week, Director Chris Weare,  made a brave & momentous decision to paint these walls black. There were a few gasps from the current students, and on closer inspection you can see why.

Students and actors have been throwing their hearts and souls into hundreds of productions here for eighty years! The history is literally written on the walls.

Apparently the first production in this theatre was Anton Chekov’s The Seagull in 1931, and the oldest graffiti I came across was The Cherry Orchard in 1944.

Thanks to Chris Weare for having the care and foresight to document this history, I loved having the opportunity to capture it!

Final year UCT Drama students Gerald Dhunrajah, Bianca Flanders, Electra Nathania Hartman, Iman Isaacs and Hannes Otto can be seen in Wag at The Little Theatre. Directed by Sandra Temmingh, the play reflects our economically challenging climate where the arts take a back seat, with five young, ambitious actors ‘temporarily’ resort to waitering in a restaurant – the waiting room for life.

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I spent some time in rehearsal with the cast & crew last week. It is certainly one of the most beautiful rehearsal rooms in the world, and houses the original Congregational Church windows which cast such gorgeous light.

The Bird Watchers will run at The Fugard Theatre  from 10 May – 4 June 2011.