Sheila Chisholm
On Monday 27 February, 2017 the 2016 Cape Amateur Theatre Awards (CATA) were held at the Playhouse Theatre, Somerset West. Forming part of their 70th birthday celebrations, in true tradition, a red carpet welcomed elegantly dressed guests and nominees into the black and white glamorously bedecked theatre. Jared Pitout, linking original casts to song and dance act Laura Bosman and Darryl Spijkers’ snippets from 2016 Cape Town musicals, gave this entertaining extravaganza the spice needed to set the evening’s happy tone. Mark Jennings, Fine Music Radio’s Station Manager, performed duties as MC in his usual splendid form. Legendary Alvon Collinson did double duty as awards presenter and “entertainer.”
While many nominees were disappointed they didn’t receive an award. They graciously accepted that next time round it could be them carrying home a certificate of silver trophy.
Milnerton Players scooped nine awards
Milnerton Players clinched the highest number of awards receiving nine in total. The musical You’re a Good Man Charlie won seven. Neil Leachman received the award for Technical Excellence – Sound Effects, Best Musical Director and Best Director of a Musical. Rob Coutts for Snoopy gained an award for his animal performance; Amy Reed received the Best Junior Performance; Leonard Moeng was regarded as Best Male Newcomer in a Musical, and the Musical won the Best Musical award. In Pa, Maak vir My ‘n Vlieer, Pa, Ilse van Niekerk took home the coveted Best Female Actress in a Play and Anton Schafer won Best Supporting Actor in a play.
Hottentots Holland Players received five awards. For the Wizard of Oz, Noel Pitout received the Best Costumes award; Nicolette Fernandes got the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and Jojo as Toto won an Animal Performance prize. As did Mat as Candy’s Dog in Of Mice and Men. While Zuko Katase, in the same play took Best Male Newcomer in a Play.
Gilbert & Sullivan Society for their My Fair Lady production won four awards. Kyla Thorburn’s choreography won her Best Artistic Contribution; Graham Boxall won Best Supporting Actor in a Musical; Leading Actress in a Musical went to Jennifer Human and Nick Plummer gained the Leading Actor in a Musical award.
MADS Master Class won four awards. Bernie Jacobs won the Lead Actress in a Play; Miranda Lewis took home Best Supporting Actress in a Play; Richard Higgs was voted Best Director of a Play, and The Master Class also won Best Play award.
For The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish Masque Theatre Players received two awards. James Skilton won Best Male Lead in a Play; Orca the Goldfish won an Animal Performance prize. Bryony Bosman received Best Newcomer in Grease the Musical.
Zanodean Cassiem, from Somerset West’s Carnivals of the Heart, won Best Musical Set for Blood Brothers; Jordyn Linklater received Best Junior Performance award.
Fish Hoek Dramatic Society won two awards. Jane Philbrick and Barrie Howard won Best Set of a Play for Barretts of Wimpole Street, and Oliver Hindle, as Flush, received a special Animal Performance prize.
Best Female Newcomer in a Musical was given to Megan Spencer in Shout! The Mod Musical presented by Pinelands Players.
Neither the Most Adventurous Production nor the Best Cameo were awarded. Over and above the main awards, Certificates of Excellence were awarded to Nicky Enticott and Les Poole for Props Creation – The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged – Constantia Theatre Players. Farnon Wheeler, Kim R2 and Daniel Enticott, in the same production, received Certificates of Excellence for Ensemble Acting. For Ensemble Acting in the Wizard of Oz James Bone, Liam Walsh and Jared Pitout received certificates for Ensemble Acting; in the same production Nicolette Fernandes received a Certificate of Excellence for her Female Solo Red Shoe Blues. My Fair Lady’s Servant Chorus won Certificates of Excellence for Chorus Work; Jennifer Human’s Female Solo I could Have Danced All Night won her a Certificate of Excellence. Graham Boxall’s Male Solo I’m Getting Married in the Morning also won a Certificate of Excellence. From Blood
Brothers’ Michelle Galloway’s Female Solo Tell Me It’s Not True and for Ensemble Work the Kids Ensemble won Certificates of Excellence.
Megan Spencer – for Female Solo Son of a Preacher Man, and Laura Bosman, Melissa Sanderson, Megan Spencer, Christine Thonissen, Enyha Swanepoel for their Ensemble work in Shout! The Mod Musical all received Certificates of Excellence. Matthew de Klerk, Richard White, Georgia Bailey, Leonard Moeng, Amy Reed, Rob Coutts went home with Certificates of Excellence for their Ensemble Work in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, as did Rob Coutts for his Male Solo Suppertime, Richard White for his Male Solo My Blanket and Me, Leonard Moeng for Mime and Musical Timing. Duncan Reid and Bryony Bosman’s Duet Mooning from Grease the Musical and Maileen Jamey for Comedic Interludes all received Certificates of Excellence.
After the awards ceremony, everyone enjoyed a celebratory drink and chat.
WS
