Fleur du Cap winners announced
Entertaining the crowd in-between the awarding of prizes was the vivacious Capetonian television personality and radio presenter Elana Afrika, who was joined on stage by dynamic performers such as: Amanda Strydom, Nomfusi, the South African Youth Choir, Jazzart Dance Theatre, the all-male singing quartet Romanz, Jolette Odendaal, and the iconic Shaleen Surtie-Richards, who won her first Fleur du Cap Theatre Award 20 years ago and her second in 2009. Celebrity guests who handed over the awards included the Premier and the Mayor and David Kramer, Soli Philander, Professor Jimmie Earl Perry, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Sandra Prinsloo and Fiona Coyne.
The judges
The panel of judges was chaired by a non-voting chairman, Conrad Sidego, and the team was made up largely of local critics, journalists, writers and drama educators. The 14 Fleur du Cap judges, who 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.
The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards are given in 18 categories and the winners each receive R15 000 prize money together with a medallion.
Second year in a row
Winning the Best Actor award for the second year in a row, and the award for Best Performance in a One Person Show, was double-nominee Jeremy Crutchley, honoured for his superb portrayal of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf in I Am My Own Wife, directed by Janice Honeyman who won the Best Director prize for her work on the same play.
Sandra Prinsloo received the Best Actress award for Die Naaimasjien, which was written by Rachelle Greeff who scooped the award for Best New SA Script for this excellent work. Erica Wessels was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Amanda in Private Lives and Guy de Lancey, repeating his 2009 win in the same category, won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Melancholy Jacques in As You Like It.
Angels on Horseback
Jonathan Roxmouth, also nominated twice this year, won the Best Performance in a Musical award for his role as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast , whilst Fiona du Plooy and the cast of Angels on Horseback were the recipients of the award for the Best Performance in a Revue or Cabaret.
Illka Louw enjoyed a double win for her fine work on The Tempest that won her both the Best Costume Design and Best Set Design awards. Triple-nominee Janni Younge won for Best Prop and Puppetry Design for her masks in Pictures of You, for which FTH:K's Rob Murray won the award for the Best Lighting Design.
New Directors
Tara-Louise Notcutt won the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors for her direction on Miskien whilst Magnet Theatre, headed by Jenni Reznek and Mark Fleishman, won the Award for Innovation in Theatre. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Maxine Arvan from the Baxter Theatre and the Best Student award was won by Hannah Borthwick from the University of Stellenbosch. Theatre fans voted online for their favourite 2009 production for the People's Choice Award, and Decadence, starring Emily Child and Scott Sparrow, took the prize.
