A group of young, potential stars have been granted the opportunity to further their careers on stage and screen, after competing in the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) drama programme finals on Friday, 26 April 2019.

The event took place at the Artscape Theatre Arena as part of Suidoosterfees, and saw six groups perform original plays - which they had written and directed themselves - in front of a full house.

The winners of the Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress awards have now been granted the opportunity to spend a day on set during the filming of hit KykNet programme, Suidooster. The winners of the Best Production award will join the Suidoosterfees Jong Sterre programme next year and perform their own show at the festival as paid professionals.

Minister Anroux Marais was on hand to congratulate the award winners and thanked them for participating in the programme.

“Thank you for sharing your stories with us, because if you don’t tell us then we won’t know about it and we won’t be able to tell the entire Western Cape what is happening in your communities,” Minister Marais said.

“I must say thank you very much to the parents who came because only with the parents support and a good support structure - and I know that in some communities there is no support structure - can we heal our communities, tell our stories and say where we come from and stand together.”

DCAS Drama Final award winners

Best Supporting Actor: Mncedisi Happy Nani

Best Supporting Actress: Anelisa Nqwemesha

Best Ensemble: Makupula Secondary School

Best Writer: Stephen Saayman

Best Director: Samuel Jumat

Best Actress: Megan Johnson

Best Actor: Llewellyn Bond

Best Production runner up: Highway, by Fantasties Dramaties

Best Production: Ek Eva, but Untitled Productions

Friday night’s performances were the culmination of a programme which spanned several months and saw acting, writing and directing classes hosted in the Cape Winelands and Eden district municipalities.

The top three groups from each of those municipalities qualified for the finals by first competing at regional festivals. They also performed at the Baxter Theatre’s Zabalaza Festival in March.

All of the productions focussed on issues impacting the performers and their communities, including culture, sexuality, crime and gender-based violence, and were performed in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.