Drama Department Alumni Scoop Up 2016 SATmag Awards

Actor and director Gopala Davies and his production of Les Cencei: A Story About Artaud was nominated in four categories.  Davies won the award for best set design. Well-known actress Fiona Ramsey won the award for the best supporting actress in a play for her role in Davies’ Les Cencei. Alumni Cassius Davids, Macmillan Mabaleka and Charles Bougeneon were part of the cast of the production.

                                                          All photos: Daniella Brews

The award for the best musical production went to Altyd in my Drome, directed by Neels Clasen.  Actor, director and singer Clasen also won the award for the best director of a musical production.

Actor Grant Towers and actress Michelle Botha won awards for best supporting actor and best supporting actress in a musical production (Altyd in my Drome).

Tiaan Slabbert won the award for best supporting actor in a play (Porselein).

Their success follows on the successes of other other alumni, including Tarryn Louch,  Nico Scheepers and Gretha Pietersen. Louch, a Naledi award nominee, business woman, radio presenter and actress won The Next Big Thing award at the SA Style Awards in 2016.

Scheepers won the Fiësta award for best set design at the awards ceremony held in 2016. Scheepers designed the sets for the production Die dag is bros (starring veteran actress and Drama Department alumna Sandra Prinsloo) as well as his own production Amper Vrystaat.

Pietersen won the Fiësta for the best actress in a supporting role for her role in Son.Maan.Sterre. These young theatre stars follow in the footsteps of veteran actress and alumna Amanda Strydom, who scooped up the Fiësta for best performance in a music production.

2017 promises as much excitement as 2016. Scheepers is nominated for three Fiësta awards, namely best director (Rooivalk) best production of 2016 (Rooivalk) and for best new Afrikaans production (Rooivalk). Scheepers will also be responsible for part of the entrainment at the forthcoming Fiësta awards ceremony.

Alumnus Wessel Pretorius is also nominated in the category for the best new Afrikaans production (Die Ontelbare 28); veteran actor Tobie Cronje for his roles in Heidi and Kul; Sandra Prinsloo for her role in So Ry Miss Daisy; Ilse Klink for her role in Kristalvlakte; and Amanda Strydom’ s ‘n Rugsak vol robyne for the best music-driven production.

Congratulations to our alumni! We are looking forward to see who of our alumni will be the next award winners.