Student Theatre Festival

The Student Theatre Festival is a showcase at the National Arts Festival for young talent from tertiary institutions across South Africa. It is the only Student Theatre Festival of its kind in South Africa, and each university showcases one play which is eligible for various award categories.

History

Previous winners

2012

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South African Post Office Cape Triangular Award for the best director and writer: Kline Smith from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg)

Best Overall Production: Homeless Orchestra by University of Cape Town (their award included a larger production for the 2013 Student Festival)

Best Ensemble: Fence by the Market Theatre Laboratory

Merit Award: Reclaiming Body – Reclaiming Self by University of the Western Cape

Up and Coming Director: Joanna Evans from University of Cape Town

Best Poster Design: University of Johannesburg for SA Shorts and University of Stellenbosch for Animals

2013

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A panel of advisors comprising Gez Casey, Smal Ndaba, Christina Kennedy and Peter Terry recognised enormous potential in the next generation of professionals with two institutions featuring prominently on the awards front. The Market Theatre Lab received kudos for the poster design and overall marketing campaign of their production of Milk and Honey, and UCT taking the honours for Most Promising Student Director (Mira Sydow), Most Promising Student Writer (Mathew Baldwin, Wynne Bredenkamp and Taryn Wyngaardt), Best Student Theatre Production, and the floating Cape Triangular Trophy, for their production titled Behind Every Yawn There is a Silent Shout.

Merit Awards were presented to Jess Harrison from Rhodes University, recognising promise in directorial conceptualisation and design; to The Market Theatre Lab’s production of Milk and Honey as the production with the greatest viability for a professional run; and to Oakfields College’s Journey, the SA Post Office choice for showcasing creativity and innovation.

2014

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Best Student Theatre Production: Solo by Rhodes University

Best Student Theatre Writer: Alex McCarthy and Callum Tillbury for the University of Cape Town script Uhm.

Best Student Theatre Director: Gopala Davies for the University of Pretoria production Barbe Bleue.

Advisors’ Award for the Best Poster: University of Witwatersrand’s Maid in Mzansi

Festival’s Marketing Team’s Choice Award for Poster Design: Oakfield College’s poster for their production Flesh.

A panel of advisors comprising Gez Casey, Peter Terry, Warona Seane and Jacqueline Domisse recognised enormous potential amongst the seventeen university productions that were presented at the Festival this year.

2015

Best Student Production: Void by Rhodes University

Special Merit Certificates for design: Frankie van Straten from Rhodes University

2016

Best Production: Nomination - Figs by (University Of Cape Town); Winner - Nyanga by Rhodes University

Most Promising Playwright of the Year: Nominations - Thembela Madliki from Rhodes University and the cast of Pharmakon from University of the Free State for a devised script; Winner - Figs by Namisa Mdlaloze and Pueng Stewart from University Of Cape Town

Most Promising Director: Nominations - Sarah Nansubuga from Wits University for The Village and Dara Beth of University Of Cape Town for Figs; Winner - Thembela Madliki from Rhodes University

Awards for the best works by students at the National Arts Festival were decided by a panel, convened by Jacqueline Dommisse, that included Lee-Ann van Rooi and Bertina Johnson.