The Market Theatre Foundation proudly announces that work presented across its stages in 2025 have bagged 42 nominations across several categories at the 21st Naledi Theatre Awards. This achievement, announced in the 50th year of The Market Theatre, reaffirms the institution’s leadership in theatrical excellence, relevant programming and world‑class talent.
Renowned playwright Mike van Graan’s The Good White is nominated for Best New South African Script, alongside Modise Sekgothe’s Gabo Legwala and Neil Coppen/Mpume Mthombeni’s The Last Country.
The Good White’s Shonisani Masutha also earns nominations for Best Supporting Performance in a Play and Best Breakthrough Performance in a Play.
Audience favourite, Afropocalypse, originally devised by Daniel Buckland in collaboration with The Market Theatre Laboratory’s second‑year students, makes a striking professional debut with six nominations including Best Director, Best Cutting‑Edge Production, Best Ensemble, Best Breakthrough Performance in a Play, Best Costume Design and Best Choreography/Movement Direction.
Collectively, ensemble works seen at The Market Theatre – Afropocalypse, Life and Times of Michael K, The Fall and Fatherhood – have claimed four spots in the Best Ensemble category.
Furthermore, The Market Theatre Kippies Fringe, curated through a unique partnership with The Art Cave, makes a notable appearance in the fringe theatre category, securing two of the five nominations under Best Fringe Production and two under Best Performance in a Fringe Theatre Production. Lesedi Thuto Gaasenwe’s Sentebale, produced through the Barney Simon Residency at The Market Theatre Laboratory, is in the running for the same award as well.
In performance categories, Gontse Ntshegang (Breakfast with Mugabe) and Mpume Mthombeni (The Last Country) compete for Best Lead Performance in a Play: Female, while Modise Sekgothe (Gabo Legwala) and Themba Ndaba (Breakfast with Mugabe) gun for the same honour in the male category.
Albert Khoza (The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu) and Bo Petersen (Pieces of Me) are nominated for Best Performance in a Solo Production.
The Market Theatre Foundation also maintains a strong presence in the directing category, with four of six nominations coming from work presented at The Market Theatre: Calvin Ratladi (Breakfast with Mugabe), Neil Coppen (The Last Country), Lara Foot (Life and Times of Michael K) and Daniel Buckland (Afropocalypse).
The full list of nominations associated with The Market Theatre Foundation can be found at www.naleditheatreawards.com.
ENDS
The Market Theatre Foundation is an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
For reduced price block bookings (of 10 or more) and school groups, contact Anthony Ezeoke (Audience Development) at AnthonyE@markettheatre.co.za or 083 246 4950.
For media enquiries, contact Bongiwe Potelwa (Publicist at the Market Theatre Foundation) at bongiwep@markettheatre.co.za or (011) 832 1641.