Actress Rehane Abrahams is a woman with many faces, and that talent has gained her a prestigious award this week.
The 54th Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards were held at the Artscape Opera House on Sunday and Rehane scooped the award for Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-person Show for her one-woman production Womb of Fire, directed by Sarah Matchett.
Set against an episode from the Indian epic, The Mahabharata, Rehane plays the roles of two historical women who were regarded as “troublesome” in their respective times.
There’s Grote Katrijn van Pulicat’s (1681-1683) journey across India to Batavia and then to Cape Town as the first female bandit slave; and Zara (1648-1671), a Khoi servant girl who was violently punished posthumously by the VOC for the crime of suicide.
She says the play is about empowering women and “challenging the pornography of Empire”.
The Fleur Du Cap recognises theatre practitioners for their acting, directing, staging and technical abilities. Winners receive R15 000 and a silver medallion.
‘ Womb of Fire’ also won the Best Sound Design, Original Music Composition or Original Score award.
A total of 87 diverse productions from the year under review were eligible for consideration.
“I’m honoured by the award and I dedicate this one to my loyal fans and followers,” says Rehane. And many of those fans will recognise her as the vindictive Wendy Newman on TV series Arendsvlei.
Wendy has been taking over nearly every household on the Cape Flats with her vuil maniere and mense love her.
Check her out on the popular telenovela at 8pm on kykNET en Kie Channel 145 Monday to Wednesday.
List of selected winners at 2019 Fleur du Cap Awards:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Anna-Mart van der Merwe in Swerfgoed as Esta
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Andrew Buckland in Endgame as Hamm
BEST DIRECTOR
Sylvaine Strike for Endgame
BEST PRODUCTION
Endgame(Baxter Theatre & Derek Lubner)
AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT
Nancy Sekhokoane (AFDA)
BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Vlooi en die Musiekfabriek/Kipper and the Music Factory (Marinda Engelbrecht & Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck)
BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT
Kudu by Lwanda Sindaphi
BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Lwanda Sindaphi
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Ryan de Villiers in Matilda the Musical as Miss Trunchbull
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Carmen Pretorius in The Sound of Music as Maria Rainer
BEST SET DESIGN
Rob Howell for Matilda the Musical
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Andrea van der Kuil & Sue Steele for Curse of the Starving Class