Doyenne of stage and film Sandra Prinsloo triumphs at prestigious theatre event

The actress was among a number of theatre talent recognized last night at a gala ceremony of the Fleur du Cap held at Nederburg in Paarl, Cape Town.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

Last night March 27, 2022 was a big day for veteran South African actress Sandra Prinsloo as she triumphed at one of the country’s fore most theatre awards in Cape Town.

Prinsloo did not only take home this year’s Fleur du Cap Lifetime Achievement Award at a prestige gala ceremony at Nederburg in Paarl.

The much-loved and widely awarded actress of the stage as well as the big and small screen, also took the 2022 award for best performer in a one-person show. She was handsomely rewarded for her depiction of Elsa Joubert in Spertyd, the stage adaptation of the famous South African writer’s memoir on ageing, loss and acceptance.

However those who have followed her career closely for years may not have been surprised by her triumph at the awards ceremony. Prinsloo (74) excelled on stage, in local and international film and on TV over many years, said Lizelle Malan of Distell, the sponsors of the annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.

During apartheid her performances at the Market Theatre were a pain to the National Party leaders of the time, especially one kissing incident on stage with involving theatre veteran John Kani, which saw some conservative members of the audience walk out of the theatre.

Prinsloo and kani were to be escorted to the parking lot for fear that they would be attacked by those enraged by the kissing scene. The play which had the ‘offensive” kissing scene is Strindberg’s Miss Julie.

IThis happned in the politically tumultuous 198os when violence was rampant  during the last decade of apartheid. The scene further made Prinsloo’s life  difficult as she got obscene hate and both her and Kani got death threats.

In post apartheid South Africa the actress continues to play an active role in theatre in her 70s.

“During the course of her rich and varied career, Ms Prinsloo has played an extensive array of characters, imbuing them all with individuality, humanity, nuance and depth. She has been a mentor and inspiration to generations of actors and has contributed readily and generously to South African theatre. She has played no small part in the international recognition it enjoys.

“Her re-imagining of author Elsa Joubert with such steely grace, humour and courage in Spertyd is just one example of her immense talent. We are proud to be associated with her well-deserved achievement and hope she continues to bring her talents to audiences long into the future.”

Africa Melane, chairperson of the panel of judges said: “Sandra Prinsloo delivers in equal measure an exceptional intellect, astounding talent and an impeccable work ethic, performing great female roles in Shakespeare, Chekov, Williams and Strindberg. Her work in plays by P G du Plessis, Bartho Smit, Rachelle Greeff and Nico Scheepers has been equally memorable.”

In addition to this latest accolade Prinsloo already holds the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre, given in 2013. In 2014, she received the Order of Ikhamanga (silver) from Government.

In 2018, she won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naledi Theatre Awards. 

Valsrivier, adapted from the novel by Dominique Botha, was the most highly awarded production of the night. Anna-Mart van der Merwe won the award for best actress, Peggy Tunyiswa, for best supporting actress and Wolf Britz, for best lighting design.

Amongst the double-award winners was A Howl in Makhanda, a semi-autobiographical play about safety and surveillance, written and directed by Qondiswa James, who also won the award for best new South African script. Composer Jannous Aukema won for the play’s best sound design and original composition.

The Lady Aoi, presented by Abrahamse & Meyer Productions won for both best set design and best costume design in the local mounting of Yukio Mishima’s modern Noh masterpiece.

Presented by Eric Abraham and the now defunct Fugard Theatre, the staging of Athol Fugard’s Master Harold… and the Boys also produced two wins, with Desmond Dube taking the title for best lead actor and Siya Mayola, for best supporting actor.

Malan said the sponsors were especially proud to be involved in the showcasing and advancing of local new talent in Sipenathi Siqwayi, who directed Ganga Nyoko! Inzima Nyoko! (Catch, Brother! It’s Hard, Brother!), a two-hander in isiXhosa and English.

“Makudupanyane Senaoana’s win as best male singer in Curlew River and Siphokazi Molteno’s as best female singer in the opera Così fan tutte, highlight yet another generation of voices coming into their own as they give expression to international classics.”

Malan also commended the Magnet Theatre that won this year’s Award for Innovation in Theatre for its Early Years Theatre Incubator Project. Since 2014, Magnet Theatre has been developing African theatre for pre-school audiences. It not only creates and incubates new uniquely South African and African work for staging locally and abroad but also provides training in acting and stagecraft.

Melane stressed that developing and nurturing audiences for the future was essential to the sustainability of the industry.  “The creation of new work for children ranging from zero to seven years of age can only be lauded. Often it is this work that provides audiences with their very first encounter with live performance. Can you imagine a greater honour as a performer?”

Magnet Theatre has toured extensively on the continent as well as abroad with productions incubated in the project, exposing their full-time trainees to collaborations with trainee participants from Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Winners were announced in 19 categories this year. Musical performances in plays were merged with those in musicals and music shows, given the limited number of musical events staged in 2020 and 2021.

For the full list of 2022 winners are as follows:

BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT

Qondiswa James | A Howl in Makhanda

BEST NEW DIRECTOR

Sipenathi Siqwayi | Ganga Nyoko! Inzima Nyoko!

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE

Wessel Pretorius & David Viviers | The Waterworks Anthology | Various roles

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET OR ONE-PERSON SHOW

Sandra Prinsloo | Spertyd | Elsa Joubert

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Wolf Britz | Valsrivier

BEST SET DESIGN

Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer | The Lady Aoi

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Fred Abrahamse & Marcel Meyer | The Lady Aoi

BEST SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC, SOUNDSCAPE OR LIVE PERFORMANCE

Jannous Aukema | A Howl in Makhanda | Sound design and original composition

BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – MALE

Makudupanyane Senaoana | Curlew River | Madwoman

BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – FEMALE

Siphokazi Molteno | Così fan tutte | Dorabella

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY, MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTION

Siya Mayola | Master Harold… and the Boys | Willie

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY, MUSICAL OR MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

Peggy Tunyiswa | Valsrivier | Mary Dlamini

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY, MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTION

Anna-Mart van der Merwe | Valsrivier | Sandra Botha

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY, MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTION

Desmond Dube | Master Harold… and the Boys | Sam

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul du Toit | The Unlikely Secret Agent

BEST PRODUCTION

Pieter Toerien Productions | The Producers

AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT

Byron McKeith | Northlink College

AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN THEATRE

The Magnet Theatre’s Early Years Programme

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Sandra Prinsloo

Winners each receive R15 000 and a silver medallion.