Fabulous entertainers for the Fleur du Cap 2010

Last edited: March 05, 2010

Posted by Business and Arts South Africa

The entertainment for this year’s prestigious Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, to be held at the Baxter Theatre on 21 March at 6pm, once again boasts a superbly talented line up.

The event will be directed by Hennie van Greunen, himself a nominee in the Best Director category for Die Naaimasjien. The vivacious Capetonian television personality and radio presenter Elana Afrika will be the MC for the evening. Ms. Afrika will be joined on stage by iconic performers such as Shaleen Surtie-Richards who won her first Fleur du Cap Theatre Award 20 years ago and again in 2009; singing sensation Nomfusi, the South African Youth Choir, Jazzart Dance Theatre, the all-male singing quartet Romanz, Jolette Odendaal and Amanda Strydom, who needs no introduction to any audience.

Distell, one of the leading liquor companies in South Africa, has been funding the performing arts for more than 40 years and present the annual Fleur du Cap Awards as part of the company’s corporate social investment programme. For the past 44 years these distinguished awards have been awarded to professional theatre productions staged in the Western Cape Region. They were established in 1965 and were then known as the Three Leaf Awards. In 1978 the prize was renamed after Fleur du Cap, one of Distell’s many well-known wine brands of the company. Distell Arts & Culture Department manages and work with a panel of judges chaired by a non-voting chairman, Mr. Conrad Sidego. The team is made up largely of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators. The fourteen Fleur du Cap judges, who have viewed close to 80 productions in 2009, are Marianne Thamm, Robert Greig, Zane Henry, Brent Meersman, Len Ashton, Peter Tromp, Dr. Beverley Brommert, Jill Markram, Wayne Muller, Denise Bester, Wilhelm Snyman, Marina Griebenow, Mariana Malan and Herman van der Westhuizen.

Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are given in the following categories:

1. Most Promising Student
2. Rosalie van der Gucht Price for New Directors
3. Best Costume Design
4. Best Prop and Puppetry Design
5. Best Lighting Design
6. Best Set Design
7. Best Performance in a Revue or Cabaret
8. Best Performance in a Musical
9. Best Performance in a One Person Show
10. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
11. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
12. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
13. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
14. Best Director
15. Best New SA Play/Script
16. Lifetime Achievement Award
17. People’s Choice Award
18. Award for Innovation in Theatre - This award can be given to an individual, group, organization or company who has in an exceptional way contributed to innovation and the development of theatre in South Africa.

The glamorous awards ceremony is also accessible to members of the theatre-going public who are able purchase tickets to the gala event and vote for their favourite production by logging onto their website. This interactive website was launched in 2006 and is edited by Marianne Thamm, a Fleur du Cap panel member and well known award-winning journalist. Aside from information on the Awards themselves, there is current news about theatre happenings in the Western Cape, show listings, editorials, reviews, information on student productions and community and amateur theatre development.

This year’s red carpet affair takes place at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch at 6pm on Sunday 21st March. Tickets cost R150 per person and include outstanding Fleur du Cap wines, canapés and an opportunity to mingle with the stars of the stage. All proceeds go towards theatre development in the Western Cape.

To log onto the website please click here.