Naledi Theatre Awards Winners Announced for 2025

2025, the year under review, proved to be a transformative year for Theatre in South Africa.

The Naledi Theatre Awards Judges were treated to a wide range of genres, exciting and innovative sets and performances and creative newcomers, that really have honed their craft.

Musical Theatre has excelled, with The Fatherland delivering an innovative score and an impressive set. Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander’s direction of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Thorsten Wedekind’s direction of the hard-hitting play Sarajevo shone. Hlengiwe Lushaba Madala in Music in the Air and Mark Richardson’s portrayal of Mr. Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady were sublime and was in the hotly contested category of Supporting Performances. My Fair Lady swept the boards winning both the Best Lead Performance Male, Craig Urbani and Best Lead Performance Female, Leah Mari. Aimee Mica Komorowsky in Sarejavo and Tswarelo Selolo in Stevovo the Puppeteer won Best Performance in a Play for Male and Female respectively.

Modise Sekgothe provided us with a wonderful original South African script Gabo Legwala. Daniel Anderson’s The Tramp and the cast of Thrill Me did just that. Prooi/Prey was a gut-wrenching production that highlighted human trafficking in a visceral way and was duly awarded the award for Best Cutting-Edge Production.

A special mention needs to go to the quality of the productions in the categories of Dance, Physical Theatre and Ballet, Student Theatre and Children and Young Audiences, including Carmina Burana, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Wonderful World of Beatrix Potter and Wills of the Dead from the Fringe Theatre Category.

The Special Awards honoured some exceptional theatre individuals. Lifetime Achievement Awards were bestowed upon André Odendaal, Bryan Hill and Dr. Thembi Mtshali-Jones. The inaugural In Memoriam Lifetime Achievement Award went to Bongani Linda (RIP) and the CEO’s Award for Innovation In or Contribution to Theatre went to Scenario Performing Arts for their innovative approach to the broader industry.

This year, the Naledi Theatre Awards were honoured to have an anonymous donor who contributed to reward the category winners financially, for which the Board of the Naledi Theatre Awards are extremely grateful.

The Naledi Theatre Awards could not take place without dedication of all our judges who give up their time and expertise throughout the year to view the productions. We would also like to thank the producers and theatres who invite the respective panels to consider their work.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners who contributed to an exciting year of theatre.

The Naledi Theatre Awards are proud to announce the recipients of the Naledi Theatre Awards for productions staged in 2025:

SPECIAL AWARDS:

Lifetime Achievement Awards

  • André Odendaal
  • Bryan Hill
  • Dr. Thembi Mtshali-Jones

In Memoriam Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Bongani Linda (Rip)

CEO’s Award – Innovation In Or Contribution To Theatre

  • Scenario Performing Arts

CATEGORY AWARDS:

Best Production For Children & Young Audiences – Supported By Assitej SA

  • Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (Daphne Kuhn and Vicky Friedman)

Best Performance In A Production For Young Audiences

  • Winnie Sue Maboea (The Wonderful World Of Beatrix Potter; National Children’s Theatre)

Best Production: Fringe Theatre

  • Wills Of The Dead (Onda_Ground Theatre Company In Collaboration With Youth In Trust)

Best Performance In A Fringe Theatre Production

  • Khonaye Mamanzi (Wills Of The Dead; Onda_Ground Theatre Company In Collaboration With Youth In Trust)

Best Production: Student Theatre

  • Flesh In The Garden (The Wits School Of Arts and Wits Theatre)

Best Performance By A Student In A Student Theatre Production

  • Ulrich Slabbert (Die Eksotiese Epiloog Van Eddie; Hoërskool Stoffberg & Ss Studios, In Association With Allegretto Toneelfees)

Best Production: Dance, Physical Theatre and Ballet

  • Carmina Burana (Moving Into Dance)

Best Choreography In A Dance, Physical Theatre and Ballet Production

  • Sylvia Glasser (Baobab; Moving Into Dance)

Best Performance In A Dance, Physical Theatre and Ballet Production

  • Monike Cristina (Maria Callas – Prima Donna; Mario Gaglione)

Best Supporting Performance In A Play: Female

  • Charlotte Butler (A Doll’s House Part 2)

Best Supporting Performance In A Play: Male

  • David Viviers (Op Die Hoek Van Styx En River Is Nora Per Abuis Met Die Dood Oorgeslaan)

Best Breakthrough Performance In A Play

  • Ivan Nedeljkovic (Sarajevo)

Best Breakthrough Performance In A Musical Theatre Production

  • Daniel Conradie (Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

Best Choreography/Movement Direction In A Play 

  • Luyanda Sidiya (Dancing The Death Drill)

Best Choreography/Movement Direction In A Musical Theatre Production

  • Duane Alexander and Jared Schaedler (Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

Best Original Score / Arrangements / Soundscape

  • Mckenzie Matome, Zakhele Mabena and Shalate Sekhabi (The Fatherland)

Best Musical Director

  • Kevin Kraak (My Fair Lady)

Best Cabaret, Revue Or Small Scale Musical Production

  • Thrill Me (Pieter Toerien)

Best Performance In A Solo Production

  • Ignatius Van Heerden (Trans/Vaal)

Best Performance In A Solo Comedy Production (With Elements Of Stand-Up)

  • Alan Committie (Alan Committie’s Comedy Gold)

Best Ensemble In A Musical Theatre Production

  • Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Pieter Toerien And LAMTA)

Best Ensemble In A Play

  • Afropocalypse (The Market Theatre and Market Theatre Laboratory)

Best Costume Design

  • Maritha Visagie and Neil Stuart Harris (My Fair Lady)

Best Theatre Set- and AV Design

  • Sherldon Marema (The Fatherland)

Best Lighting Design

  • Wayne Van Der Schyff-Smal (Betower)

Best Sound Design

  • MultiMedia (Jonathan Roxmouth – My Favourite Broadway)

Best Director of a Musical Theatre Production

  • Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander (Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

Best Director of a Play

  • Thorsten Wedekind (Sarajevo)

Best Supporting Performance In A Musical Theatre Production: Female

  • Hlengiwe Lushaba Madlala (Music In The Air)

Best Supporting Performance In A Musical Theatre Production: Male

  • Mark Richardson (My Fair Lady)

Best Lead Performance In A Musical Theatre Production: Female

  • Leah Mari (My Fair Lady)

Best Lead Performance In A Musical Theatre Production: Male

  • Craig Urbani (My Fair Lady)

Best Performance In A Caberet, Revue or Small-Scale Musical Production

  • Daniel Anderson (The Tramp)

Best Lead Performance In A Play: Female

  • Aimée Mica Komorowsky (Sarajevo)

Best Lead Performance In A Play: Male

  • Tswarelo Selolo (Stevovo The Puppeteer)

Best New South African Script / Adaptation

  • Modise Sekgothe (Gabo Legwala)

Best Cutting-Edge Production

  • Prooi/Prey (Leftfoot Theatre Productions In Association With The South African State Theatre)

Best Production of a Play

  • Sarajevo (Before The End Productions and Daphne Kuhn)

Best Production of a Musical

  • My Fair Lady (Pieter Toerien and Cape Town Opera)

As usual, the Naledi Theatre Awards Ceremony would not be able to take place without our generous in-kind sponsors. The Naledi Theatre Awards are completely unfunded and in order to mount these awards in style, we rely on their largesse and support. Our sponsors who made this evening a great success are: Splitbeam, Alan Ford Productions, The Buz Hive, Galore SA Media, Blue Key Digital Marketing, LIFT Airline, Mindpool Productions, Stageworx School of Performing Arts, STAND Foundation, an anonymous donor and The South African State Theatre (venue/facilities).

The 21st Annual Naledi Theatre Awards ceremony took place in the Opera at The South African State Theatre, Pretoria (Tshwane), and streamed on SAST TV.

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