……BY BILLY SUTER……
THE widely acclaimed Durban play, The King of Broken Things, a powerful and clever drama written and directed by Michael Taylor-Broderick and starring Cara Roberts, received two of five awards for which it was nominated at yesterday’s Naledi Theatre Awards held at the State Theatre in Pretoria.
The awards, now in their 20th year, acknowledge and reward productions staged in Gauteng during 2024.
The King of Broken Things, presented by Theatresmiths in association with The Market Theatre, took an award for Cara Roberts as best performer in a solo production and also received a Naledi for lighting design by Taylor-Broderick. The production also had nominations for best new South African script, director of a play and set design (all for Taylor-Broderick).
Inventive, compelling and serving much food for thought, this is a must-see production chronicling a journey into the broken heart of a young boy, a journey of discovery through his experiments, projects and creations. It marks a nuanced, energetic and truly wonderful performance by Cara Roberts, who has been seen in such other local stage successes as Sylvia, Charlotte’s Web and Red Ridinghood.
First staged in Durban in 2019, after having premiered at the 2018 Hilton Arts Festival, the hour-long The King of Broken Things was conceived, written and directed by Durban lighting guru Michael Taylor-Broderick and has already won a pile of awards. Accolades have included a Gold Ovation Award at the 2020 SA Arts Festival and, among other awards, accolades for Best Actress, Script and Director at the Golden Dolphin International Puppet Festival in Bulgaria.
Another KwaZulu-Natal connection at the Naledi awards was Durban-born, dancer-choreographer Mark Hawkins receiving the Lesedi Spirit of Courage award. Mark, now in a wheelchair after losing a leg to diabetes, continues to teach ballet.
Durban’s Steven Stead was nominated as best director of a musical or opera for his work on Pieter Toerien and Cape Town Opera’s production of The Sound of Music, but the award went to Sylvaine Strike for LAMTA’s widely acclaimed Spring Awakening, a show that cleaned up at the awards.
Spring Awakening‘s Naledis included those for best musical production; best choreography (Anna Oliver and Naoline Quinzin); best male lead performer in a musical (Dylan Janse van Rensburg); best musical director (Amy Campbell); best ensemble in a musical; and best supporting performers (Francis Chouler and Natalie Robbie). Spring Awakening also won former Westville Boys’ High school pupil John Conrad a Naledi for best breakthrough performance.
Among other awards highlights was Durban-raised Charmaine Weir-Smith taking the award for best actress in a play, Expelled; and that work also scooping a Naledi for Rosalind Butler, for best original South African script.
Carmen Pretorius was named as best lead actress in a musical for Aspoestertjie – die Pantomime.
.....SoSuterBill..... 