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BY BILLY SUTER

STEVEN Stead, of Durban’s widely acclaimed KickstArt Theatre company, is smiling broadly today, having received two coveted accolades for his work on the hit Durban musical, Camelot, staged at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre last year.

Stead has been given BroadwayWorld South Africa Awards for best director and best lead actor for the acclaimed musical, in which he starred as King Arthur, a role he has admitted to having long want to play.

The annual national awards, for which nominations and results come from theatre fans who vote online at BroadwayWorld.com, also saw Camelot take accolades for best actress in a featured role (Ann-Marie Clulow), best ensemble performance, best choreography (Janine Bennewith) and best revival of a musical.

Regional productions, touring shows and more were all included in the awards, honouring productions which opened between October 1 2017 and September 30, 2018.

After being notified of his win, Stead said: “Playing King Arthur was possibly the highlight of my career… certainly the most fulfilling onstage experience I have ever experienced”.

Stead was talking from Cape Town, where he is now directing rehearsals for KickstArt’s national touring production of the acclaimed Durban production of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods.

He said KickstArt was “enormously grateful” to Durban theatre-lovers for taking the time and trouble to vote for Camelot in the BroadwayWorld South Africa.

”It is very affirming to have our work recognised on this national platform, especially alongside such excellent productions as The Color Purple and African Gothic, both of which were of the highest possible standard, and which we hugely admired.”

He added: “Thanks to BroadwayWorld for injecting our industry with his much-needed boost of affirming energy.”

The Color Purple, staged at the Joburg Theatre, was voted as best musical in the poll, while that production’s Didintle Khunou was named best actress in a musical.

Craig Urbani took the award for best male featured role in a musical, for his work in the Johannesburg production, Great Balls of Fire, while that production took the award for best new stage work.

African Gothic, staged at the Joburg Theatre, cleaned up in the play category. It scooped  awards for best play, director of a play (Alby Michaels), lead actor in a play (Zak Hendrikz), actress in a featured role in a play (Olive Strachan), actor in a featured role in a play (Mpho Osei-Tutu), costume design (FADA), lighting design (Oliver Hauser), scenic design Alby Michaels/FADA) and sound design (Franco Prinsloo).

The award for best lead actress in a play went to Nicole Fortuin for her work in The Fugard Theatre’s Oleanna.

The Road to Mecca took the award for best revival of a play.