The highly anticipated nominations for the prestigious annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards, taking place this year at the Baxter Theatre on the 21st March, have been announced. The panel of judges deliberated for two days and selected the following nominees for their outstanding work in productions throughout 2009. The fourteen judges 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. The Nominees in the various categories follow:

Best Performance by an Actor / Beste Vertolking deur ‘n Akteur:
Jeremy Crutchley for his role as Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in I Am My Own Wife
Michael Richard for his role as Martin Vallon in God of Carnage
Scott Sparrow for his role as Petey in The Birthday Party
Scott Sparrow for his roles as Steve and Les in Decadence

Best Performance by an Actress / Beste Vertolking deur ‘n Aktrise:
Emily Child for her roles as Helen and Sybil in Decadence
Louise Saint-Claire for her role as Veronique Vallon in God of Carnage
Robyn Scott for her role as Elizabeth in Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman
Sandra Prinsloo for her role as Magdaleen in Die Naaimasjien

Best Supporting Actor / Beste Ondersteunende Akteur:
Adrian Collins for his role as Stanley in The Birthday Party
Atandwa Kani for her role as Ariel in The Tempest
Guy de Lancey for his role as Melancholy Jacques in As you Like It
Mbulelo Grootboom for his several characters in Iago’s Last Dance

Best Supporting Actress / Beste Ondersteunende Aktrise:
Anna-Mart van der Merwe for her role as Annette Raleigh in God of Carnage
Claire Watling for her role as Madame le Beau and Audrey in As You like It
Erica Wessels for her role as Amanda in Private Lives
Gina Pauling for her role as Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Ernest

Best Director / Beste Regisseur:
Alan Swerdlow for God of Carnage
Christopher Weare for Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman
Hennie van Greunen for Die Naaimasjien
Janice Honeyman for I Am My Own Wife

Best Performance in a One Person Show / Beste Spel in ‘n Eenpersoonvertoning:
Jeremy Crutchley in I Am My Own Wife as Charlotte von Mahsdorf and multiple characters
Michael Richard in My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy as multiple characters
Pumeza Rashe in Red Winter in Gugs as Qagamba
Sandra Prinsloo in Die Naaimasjien as Magdaleen

Jeremy Crutchley double nominee

Best New SA Script / Beste Nuwe SA Teks:
Transit by Ian Bruce
Noah of Cape Town by Graham Weir and Megan Choritz
Iago’s Last Dance by Mike van Graan
Die Naaimasjien by Rachelle Greef

Best Performance in a Musical / Beste Spel in ‘n Musiekblyspel:
Anton Luitingh as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast
Christine Weir as Maria in Noah of Cape Town
Jonathan Roxmouth as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast
Pauline Malefane as Deus / Jesus in The Mysteries

Best Performance in a Revue or Cabaret / Beste Spel in ‘n Revue of Kabaret:
Jonathan Roxmouth in A Handful of Keys as pianist/performer
Loukmaan Adams in Second Time Around as Yussie and Boeta Yu
Roelof Colyn in A Handful of Keys as pianist/performer
Fiona du Plooy and Candice D’Arcy in Angels on Horseback in multiple roles

Best Costume Design / Beste Ontwerp – Kostuums:
Dicky Longhurst for As You Like It
Illka Louw for The Tempest
Marcel Meyer for Private Lives
Penny Simpson for Elizabeth: Almost by Chance a Woman

Best Prop and/or Puppetry Design / Beste Ontwerp: Rekwisiete en/of Poppespelkuns:
Dicky Longhurst for I Am My Own Wife for the props
Janni Younge for Pictures of You for the masks
Janni Younge for Quack for the masks
Janni Younge for The Tempest for the puppets

Quack with masks made by triple nominee Janni Younge

Best Lighting Design / Beste Beligtingsontwerp:
Fahiem Bardien for As You Like It
Mannie Manim for I Am My Own Wife
Mannie Manim for The Tempest
Rob Murray for Pictures of You

Best Set Design / Beste Stelontwerp:
Alfred Rietman for The Tent
Dicky Longhurst for I Am My Own Wife
Dicky Longhurst for Noah of Cape Town
Illka Louw for The Tempest

Most Promising Student Award / Mees Belowende Student:
Hannah Borthwick from the University of Stellenbosch
Wessel Pretorius from the University of Stellenbosch
Wilhelm van der Walt from the University of Stellenbosch
Ebrahim Gordon from the University of Cape Town

Four special awards will be announced at the ceremony on Sunday 21st March. They are the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors; the Award for Innovation in Theatre that is awarded to an individual, company or organisation working onstage or behind the scenes that has delivered work of excellence and made a contribution to theatre and its development; the Special Lifetime Achievement Award that will go to an individual who has over many years made a significant contribution to theatre, on or off stage; and the popular Peoples’ Choice Award, where theatre fans vote online at www.capetheatre.co.za for their favourite 2009 production, with the deadline for voting being 15th March 2010.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards , under the auspices of Distell’s Corporate Social Investment programme, will once again be a glamourous occasion where the stars of the stage mingle with the audience on the red carpet. Tickets cost R150 per person via Computicket and include canapes, Fleur du Cap wines and bubbly, with all funds raised through box office sales going towards the development of the Performing Arts in South Africa. For more information and to vote, visit www.capetheatre.co.za