By Naushad Khan
Today, Cape Town’s theatre community came together at the Baxter Theatre Centre to celebrate excellence on stage as the city’s long-standing theatre awards entered a new chapter under a new name and organisation.
With a proud legacy spanning 61 years, these awards continue to recognise the remarkable talent, creativity and dedication that make Cape Town one of South Africa’s leading performing arts destinations. From outstanding productions to exceptional performances, the evening honoured the artists, directors, designers, technicians and creative teams whose passion keeps live theatre thriving.
Cape Town This Month extends heartfelt congratulations to every nominee and every winner. Being recognised by an independent panel of judges is an achievement in itself, and each nomination reflects the high standard of theatre being produced across our city.
We also pay tribute to the many men and women working behind the scenes who ensured these prestigious awards continue into a new era. Your commitment to preserving this important tradition guarantees that future generations of theatre-makers will continue to be recognised and celebrated.
Here’s to another 65 years of inspiring stories, unforgettable performances and a vibrant theatre community. Congratulations to everyone who played a part in making this memorable evening possible.
The 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Nigel Vermaas, who was recognised for his immense contribution to the performing arts and broadcasting as an actor, director, and writer for stage and radio dramas. Vermaas is also a documentary maker and host of an arts and jazz radio show, all this with his instinctive and dramatic flair.
The 2025 recipient of the Innovation in Theatre Award was the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA), which celebrates its 16th year in 2026. The SSFSA is a vital platform that empowers scholars who may be intimidated and unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s work to reinterpret classic works with originality and relevance. By transforming full-length plays into dynamic short productions, they make Shakespeare accessible, engaging and meaningful for themselves and their audiences.
Winner of Best Production was the one-woman show Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater, which garnered a total of seven awards, taking the Award in each of the categories for which it was nominated: Best New South African Script; Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-Person Show; Best Lighting and Best Set Design; Best Sound Design, Original Music, Soundscape or Live Performance; Best Director and Best Production.
Hit musical Cats won three awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble, Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical and Best Costume Design, while popular favourite Chicago walked away with Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical and Best Actor in a Musical.
Cape Town Opera’s production of Bluebeard’s Castle won awards in both the Male and Female categories of Best Performance in an Opera, while Speelgoed van Glas / The Glass Menagerie also won two awards in the Best Supporting Actress in a Play and Best Lead Actor in a Play.
The full list of winners of the 61st Cape Town Theatre Awards are:
- AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING STUDENT
Scarlett Pay | LAMTA
- BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT
Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater | Neil Coppen & Mpume Mthombeni
- BEST NEW DIRECTOR
Samuel Jumat | ’n Pandok se Liefde
- BEST THEATRE PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
Moana Jr – Sonwa Sakuba Institute for the Performing Arts (SSIPA)
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE
Cats | Austin Tshikosi, Brittane van Loggerenberg, Cassiel Eatock-Winnik, Cleto van Rooi, Darren Rockman, Hannah Marshall, Harry Smallman, Jackie Lulu, Marco Titus, Michael Fullard, Morgan Marshall, Noa Duckitt, Phoebe Charles, Ryan Flynn, Scarlett Pay, Sibusiso Mxosana, Sipesihle Ngamlana, Stephan Van Der Walt, Tania Mteto, Tannah Levick, Tatum Coleman, Zoë Mclaughlin
- BEST PERFORMANCE IN A REVUE, CABARET OR ONE-PERSON SHOW
Mpume Mthombeni | Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Carlo Daniels | Randall Simons | Colleen The Musical
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Tankiso Mamabolo | Matron Mama Morton | Chicago
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Jonathan Roxmouth | Billy Flynn | Chicago
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR MUSIC THEATRE SHOW
Cindy Ann Abrahams | Grizabella | Cats
- BEST PUPPETRY DESIGN
Adrian Kohler and William Kentridge | Faustus in Africa!
- BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater | Tina Le Roux
- BEST SET DESIGN
Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater | Greg King
- BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Cats | John Napier
- BEST SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC, SOUNDSCAPE OR LIVE PERFORMANCE
Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater | Tristan Horton
- BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – MALE
William Berger | Bluebeard | Bluebeard’s Castle
- BEST PERFORMANCE IN AN OPERA – FEMALE
Siphamandla Moyake | Judith | Bluebeard’s Castle
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Albert Pretorius | Caliban | The Tempest
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Carla Smith | Laura | Speelgoed van Glas | The Glass Menagerie
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Rolanda Marais | Hedda | Hedda Gabler
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ben Albertyn | Tom | Speelgoed van Glas | The Glass Menagerie
- BEST DIRECTOR
Neil Coppen | Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater
- BEST PRODUCTION
Isidlamlilo/The Fire Eater | Empatheatre in association with The Baxter Theatre Centre and the National Arts Festival
AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN THEATRE
Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Nigel Vermaas
The panel for the 2025 year was: Africa Melane (Chair), Dr Beverley Brommert, Hadley Tituss, Naude van der Merwe, Nkgopoleng Moloi, Roxy MarosaSive Gubangxa, Thabo K Makgolo,Tracey Saunders and Dr Wayne Muller.
The 2025 Cape Town Theatre Awards were audited by The Finance Man and Cluver Markotter Attorneys.
