All the Naledi Awards winners (gallery)

The 11th Naledi awards saw some spectacular wins for South African plays and musicals, as well as acting forces that helped bring spectacular characters to life.

Aubrey Sekhabi’s Marikana – The Musical has swept the boards at the South African Naledi Theatre Awards. The chilling musical received six awards.

It won Best Production of a Musical (The South African State Theatre), Best Director (Aubrey Sekhabi), Best Performance in a Musical: Female (Emma Mmekwa), Best Set Design (Wilhelm Disbergen), Best Score (McKenzie Matone, Zakele Mabena and Aubrey Sekhabi) and Best original Choreography (Thabo Rapoo).

For the first time since the inception of the prestigious awards, two performers – Jonathan Roxmouth and Brendan van Rhyn – shared the honours in the Best Performance Musical: Male category for their inspired roles in Call Me Lee and The Rocky Horror Show.

Shaleen Surtie-Richards was given a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to South African theatre in a career that has spanned more than 30 years.

At the glittering ceremony at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, attended by the who’s who of the entertainment world, Paul Slabolepszy’s Pale Natives scooped three awards; Best Production of a Play (director Bobby Heaney), Best Supporting Actor (Antony Coleman) and Best Performance in a Play (Lionel Newton).

Awards were also given in the Best Musical Director category to Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and Stefan Lombard for their musical contribution to The Rocky Horror Show as the production also took awards in the Best Sound Design and Best Lighting Design categories for Akbar Khan and Daniel Galloway respectively.

Veteran playwright and actor Athol Fugard shone on the night with an award for Best New South African script for The Shadow of the Hummingbird which he shared with co-writer Paula Fourie.

Neil Coppen’s inventive take on Animal Farm received the nod in the categories, Best Production for Young Audiences and Best Ensemble.

Shaleen Surtie-Richards was given a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to South African theatre in a career that has spanned more than 30 years.

Newly crowned Miss South Africa 2015 Liesl Laurie also made an appearance while to add a slice of beefcake to the proceedings Mr South Africa Armand du Plessis and runner up, Sibusiso Sibanda, brought on the trophies.

Celebrity presenters included Kgomotso Christopher and Jack Devnarain from Isidingo; Aubrey Poo, nominated for his performance in Marikana – the Musical, award winning director Sylvaine Strike; top TV celebrity Zuraida Jardine and Dali and Rachel Tambo.

The arrival of Joey from War Horse caused a sensation as he galloped onto the stage for his special World Impact Award, the first time that this has been given at the Naledi ceremony.

There were stunning performances on the night from ShooWop Shop; the Vuyani Dance Company performed Full Moon, her stirring performance as the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music),performed a moving rendition of “Climb Every Mountain” from the “Sound of Music.” PJ Powers (also a nominee) belted out “You are my World” and Jonathan Roxmouth in an impressive rendering of Boogie Woogie from Call Me Lee. Up and coming star, Michael Riff Themba performing the rollicking song, “Happy” from Peter Pan and here was a spectacar segment from Swan Lake performed by the Joburg Ballet.

Masters of ceremonies on the night were popular TV presenter, poet and actress Lebo Mashile and South Africa’s most famous puppet Chester Missing.

The awards took place at Gold Reef City.

The full list of Naledi Award winners are:

• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY/MUSICAL

Vanessa Cooke – Vigil

• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY/MUSICA

LAntony Coleman – Pale Natives

• BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

(Supported by Assitej SA): Animal Farm – Directed by Neil Coppen

• BEST NEWCOMER/BREAKTHROUGH (The Brett Goldin Award):

Zethu Dlomo – Have you seen Zandile?

• BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Floris Louw – Rainbow At Midnight

• BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Daniel Galloway – The Rocky Horror Show

• BEST SET DESIGN

Wilhelm Disbergen – Marikana – The Musical

• BEST SOUND DESIGN

Akbar Khan – The Rocky Horror Show

• BEST SCORE / ARRANGEMENT / ADAPTATION

McKenzie Matome, Zakele Mabena and Aubrey Sekhabi – Marikana – The Musical

• BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and Stefan Lombard – The Rocky Horror Show

• THE SOPHIE MGCINA BEST EMERGING VOICE AWARD

(Sponsored by the Market Theatre):Khayelihle Dominique – Gumede

• BEST PRODUCTION: CUTTING EDGE

A Human Being Died That Night – Directed by Jonathan Munby

• BEST ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION

Animal Farm – Directed by Neil Coppen

• BEST ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY

Thabo Rapoo – Marikana – The Musical

• BEST DIRECTOR

Aubrey Sekhabi – Marikana – The Musical

• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL: FEMALE

Emma Mmekwa – Marikana – The Musical

• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL: MALE

Jonathan Roxmouth – Call Me LeeBrendan van Rhyn – The Rocky Horror Show

• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: FEMALE

Patricia Boyer – Cooking With Elisa

• BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: MALE

Lionel Newton – Pale Natives

• BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT

The Shadow of The Hummingbird by Athol Fugard and Paula Fourie

• BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

Pale Natives – Directed by Bobby Heaney

• BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Marikana – The Musical – Directed by Aubrey Sekhabi

• LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT

Shaleen Surtie-Richards

• WORLD IMPACT AWARD

War Horse and the puppet Joey – Handspring Puppet Company, RMB and Pieter ToerienSent from my iPad