Here’s all the fabulous winners of the Cape Amateur Theatre Awards 2022/2023. SHEILA CHISHOLM attended the 2024 CATA awards evening at Milnerton Playhouse.
A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits – that’s the message Wesley Figaji, Chairman of CATA Awards, spelt out at the CATA 2022 and 2023 awards evening at the Milnerton Playhouse in Cape Town on 9 March, 2024.
To a festively dressed audience, Masque Theatre Players and Milnerton Players, Figaji congratulated these two societies for refusing to ‘lie down and die’ when the pandemic forced other societies to do so.
Figaji mentioned that ‘the first CATA (Cape Amateur Awards) were handed out in 1969. Since then 546 awards have been handed out to 331 individuals from 19 societies. Four people who, over the years won 10 or more awards were Graham Boxall, Teddy Davies, Barrie Howard and Kyla Thorburn.
What a record to live up to. So, it’s not surprising that with a live-wire like Figaji as CATA’s chairman, he’s picked up the cudgels to resurrect the awards after the hiatus caused by Covid. He agreed that with only 12 productions to judge, certain categories couldn’t be adjudicated. However, Figaji believed that by receiving an award other would be thespians would be spurred on to participate in productions – which in turn would (hopefully) rebuild the amateur societies. The word amateur referring to receiving no payment for their services, not the standard which was often acknowledged as highly professional.
CATA Award Winners 2024
Artistic Contribution (Jill Cooke Cup): Shayni Pappin-Davidson (Choreography) – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Technical Excellence (Estelle Knott-Craig Shield): Gary Fargher, Gail Duguid-Fargher, Neil Leachman and Faeron Wheeler (Sound and Effects) – Sleeping Beauty (Masque Theatre Players)
Costumes (Dolores Spijkers Trophy): Nicky Enticott – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Set (Harry Hargreaves Cup): Richard Higgs and Neo Mbabama – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Cameo Performance (Fiona Chisholm Cup): Petra Baker – We’ll Meet Again (Milnerton Players)
Most Promising Newcomer (Non-Acting) (Susan Small Trophy): Camryn Sanderson (Sound and Effects) – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Most Promising Newcomer (Acting) (Imps Shield): Harmonie Mbunga – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Supporting Actress in a Musical (Byron Bure Academy of Theatre Arts Trophy): Melissa Sanderson – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Supporting Actress in a Play (Vaughan and Shelagh Bolton Trophy): Hannah Molyneux – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Supporting Actor in a Musical (Tony Stiglingh Cup): Barend van der Westhuizen – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Lead Actress in a Musical (Walter Swanson Trophy): Rozelle Wilkin – We’ll Meet Again (Milnerton Players)
Lead Actress in a Play (Doris Tansley Cup): Taryn Basel – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Lead Actor in a Play (Geoffrey Tansley Cup): Anton Schäfer – Tom, Dick and Harry (Milnerton Players)
Musical Director (Sheila Chisholm Trophy): Barend van der Westhuizen – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Director of a Musical (Joseph Manca Cup): Kyla Thorburn – Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Director of a Play (Bertie Stern Cup): Barbara Basel – Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Best Musical (Marcia Lawton Cup): Strictly British (Milnerton Players)
Best Play (Sol Rodsell Cup): Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players)
Certificates of Excellence:
Masque Theatre Players for resilience and perseverance during the challenges faced by the Covid lockdowns.
Milnerton Players for resilience and perseverance during the challenges faced by the Covid lockdowns.
Lynne Wade for poster and programme design for Love & Mistletoe and Tom, Dick and Harry (Milnerton Players).
Esmeralda Viljoen for garden artwork in Love & Mistletoe (Milnerton Players).
Wicus Engelbrecht and Catriona Ross for tango dancing in Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players).
Taryn Basel for poster and programme design for Twelfth Night (Masque Theatre Players).
The cast of Strictly British for ensemble performance (Milnerton Players).
- Barend van der Westhuizen and Niel van der Colff for their performance of “Tears in Heaven” in Strictly British (Milnerton Players).
- Tersia Harley, Johan Rossouw, Anton Eloff and Niel van der Colff for musical accompaniment in Strictly British (Milnerton Players).
- Kevin Thyssen, Juanita Rabie, Melvyn Abrahams and Nasreen Adhikari for playing the living dead in When the Dead Arrived (Milnerton Players).
- Jodi Lewis, Nina Lewis and Michelle Lewis for dynamic stage presence in Rapunzel (Masque Theatre Players).
- Faeron Wheeler for stepping in when desperately needed (Masque Theatre Players).
- We’ll Meet Again for programme design (Milnerton Players).
Happy chatter over wine and snacks, ended the evening in a most positive vein, as these thespians looked forward to 2024’s productions. I wish one and all (and a few newcomers) many jolly hours making magic in the theatre.
See some previous CATA Awards here and here.
What: 2024 Cape Amateur Theatre Awards (CATA)
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