DRAMA

FNB VITA AWARDS

The winners for the 1995/96 FNB Vita Regional Theatre Awards in Durban were announced last month.

Nominated for the best production were Sandra Prinsloo's production of Frida Kahlo's Eyes; Heel Against the Head presented by the Playhouse Company in association with the Space Kids; Hysteria produced by the Playhouse Drama Department and You Might as Well Live produced by Brenda Lauth. The award goes to Hysteria.

Nominees for best performance by an actor in a leading role were Ralph Lawson and Jonathan Pienaar (both for Hysteria) and Bill Flynn (Heel Against the Head). The award went to Ralph Lawson.

In the category best performance by an actress in a leading role, the winner is Shirley Johnston (Hysteria). The other nominee was Helene Lombard (Frida Kahlo's Eyes).

SUPPORTING ROLE

There were outright winners of the awards for best performance by an actor and an actress in a supporting role. These were won by John Whiteley (Hysteria) and Belinda Harward (Charley's Aunt).

Nominated for best director were Brenda Lauth (You Might as Well Live); Sandra Prinsloo (Frida Kahlo's Eyes) and Roy Sargeant (Hysteria). The award goes to Roy Sargeant.

WATCH

An actor/writer to watch in the future is Greig Coetzee who was the outright winner of the award for most promising

new actor for White Men With Weapons. Greig also won the award for best script for this production. The other nominee in this category was Paul Slabolepszy (Heel Against the Head).

The outright winner for best set design and best costume design is Andrew Botha for Hysteria. This production also won best light design award outright for Glen Olsen for Hysteria.

NEW

Two new awards were introduced this year to recognise performance in musical theatre. Nominees for the most outstanding performance were Bryan Schimmel and Ian von Memerty (both for Handful of Keys) and Paul Warwick Griffen (Evita). The winner is Ian von Memerty.

For best musical theatre production the nominees were A Handful of Keys pro-duced by Mark West; Evita produced by the Playhouse Musical Department; Fiddler on the Roof also produced by the Playhouse Musical Department, and The Doowah Boys produced by Pieter Toerien and Kevin Feather. The winner this year is A Handful of Keys.

It's a sad reflection that only three of the personalities are actually from KZN. Are we losing our best to other provinces?

MADCAP'S CREATIVITY

In 1990 creative drama teachers Gisele Turner and Wendy Nell combined forces to formed Alakazoo, a company geared to educate through a broad range of theatrical mediums.

This resulted in the Madcaps Creative Eduction Company which originally made use of carefully researched taped music. Later productions saw the inclu-sion of a new member, experienced musician and percussionist Richard Ellis, adding an essential dimension to their work's education value.

CONSCIOUS

The year 1996 found Madcaps conscious of the need to incorporate the Zulu lan-guage in their performances and so Thokozani Mthinyani, a Zulu poet and tutor, joined them for Tales of Wonder and Tales of the Heart.

The tales were carefully selected, arranged and adapted to enlighten audiences and bring awareness of their cultural roots as well as a broad range of theatrical drama. All Madcaps productions are available for school performances. Contact Gisele Turner on 44-5871 or Wendy Nell on Telefax 44-8905.

DINAH DINOSAUR

The final production in our SCAT 1996 season of plays for young audiences in the Pieter Scholtz University Open-Air Theatre is Dinah the Dinosaur written and directed by Pieter Scholtz.

First presented in 1991, this play proved extremely popular with schools which used it as a stimulus for pupils at the senior primary level for further study and for projects embracing dinosaurs.

The play deals with Professor Fossil, his assistant Suzie and a fossilised egg that hatches, giving birth to Dinah, the only living, breathing dinosaur.

But danger lurks in the form of Dr Autopski, a fanatical medical scientist, who is determined to dissect Dinah in the interests of science.

Philippa Savage and Dennis Schauffer play the parts of Dinah and Dr Autopski, as they did in the original production. Professor Fossil, the eccentric palaeotologist, is played by Patrick Collyer and Suzie, his muddle- headed assistant, is Liesel Coppin.

The show runs every Saturday in the Pieter Scholtz Open-Air Theatre on the University of Natal campus at 14h30. Special performances and block-bookings for primary schools may be arranged by telephoning 81- 1617.

THEATRE CATS

Know a child interested in theatre?

The Playhouse Theatre Cats for children (aged from six to 12) will meet on August 31 in the Playhouse Alhambra Room from 10h30 to 13h00.

HOWICK FALLS MARKET

The picturesque setting of the Howick Falls provides a perfect backdrop for the monthly Howick Falls Craft Market, this month to be held on August 11.