Edward Tsumele

Edward Tsumele

The 2009 Naledi Theatre awards will be held later this month and Naledi executive director Dawn Lindberg promises a glitzy ceremony featuring highlights from The Magic Flute, Beauty and the Beast, Chess, Umoja and others, as well as the internationally acclaimed African Children's Choir.

Top stage celebrities will again present the awards and some of the most prominent categories to look forward to are:

Best New South African Play Produced:

Biko Where the Soul Resides - produced by the State Theatre and written and directed by Martin Koboekae;

Freak Country - produced by Daphne Kuhn, directed by Charmaine Weir-Smith and written by Paul Slabolepszy;

Karoo Moose - produced by Baxter Theatre Centre in association with ABSA and Aardklop. It has been presented by the Market Theatre and is directed by Lara Foot Newton;

Silent Voice - produced by the South African State Theatre and Inkanya Productions and written and directed by Aubrey Sekhabi;

Ten Bush - produced by The Market Theatre, directed by Mncedisi Shabangu and written by Craig Higginson and Mncedisi Shabangu;

Best Production of a Straight Play:

Hard Love - produced by Daphne Kuhn and directed by Alan Swerdlow;

Hello and Goodbye - produced by Tripletake Productions, presented by The Civic Theatre and directed by Mark Graham;

Karoo Moose;

The Lion and The Jewel - produced by South African State Theatre, presented by the Market Theatre and directed by James Ngcobo;

Silent Voice - produced by South African State Theatre and Inkanya Productions and written and directed by Aubrey Sekhabi.

Best Production of a Musical:

Beauty and the Beast - produced by Pieter Toerien and Hazel Feldman in association with Disney Theatrical Productions and Robert Jess Roth directed;

Chess - produced by Pieter Toerien and directed by Paul Warwick Griffin;

Magic Flute - produced by Isango Portobello and adapted and directed by Mark Dornford;

Ons vir Jou - produced by Packed House Productions and the South African State Theatre, written by Sean Else and directed by Deon Opperman;

The Full Monty - produced by Creativentertainment in association with M-Net and directed by David Bownes.