7 Augustus | August 2025
Ons nuwe Nati Jong Sterre word binnekort aangekondig. Die suksesvolle kandidate ontvang vanjaar leiding van Oscar Petersen, Jana Cilliers en Rafiek Mammon om nuwe dramatekste te skep en te ontwikkel sodat dit in 2026 by die Suidoosterfees debuteer.
Oscar Petersen gaan toesien dat die Jong Sterre se tekste geslyp en afgerond word, onder meer tydens ’n skrywersverblyf van drie weke by die Jakes Gerwel Stigting se Paulet Huis in KwaNojoli.
Tydens die skrywersverblyf gaan die gevierde aktrise Jana Cilliers vir vyf dae by Oscar en die Jong Sterre aansluit om die nuweling-dramaturge te inspireer en haar kennis en ervaring van meer as 50 jaar in die teaterbedryf te deel.
Na afloop van die skrywersverblyf in KwaNojoli sal die teatermaker, Rafiek Mammon, die Jong Sterre begelei in die proses om hul dramas in professionele verhoogstukke te omskep – gereed om by Suidoosterfees 2026 op die planke te kom.
Meer oor die drie mentors:
Our new NATi Rising Stars will be announced soon. This year, the successful candidates will receive mentorship from Oscar Petersen, Jana Cilliers and Rafiek Mammon to create and develop new drama scripts, set to debut at the 2026 Suidoosterfees.
Oscar Petersen will guide the Rising Stars in refining and polishing their scripts, including during a three-week writers’ residency at the Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s Paulet House in KwaNojoli.
During the residency, acclaimed actress Jana Cilliers will join Oscar and the Rising Stars for five days to inspire the emerging playwrights and share her knowledge and experience from over 50 years in the theatre industry.
After the residency in KwaNojoli, theatre-maker Rafiek Mammon will mentor the Rising Stars in transforming their scripts into professional stage productions – ready to premiere at Suidoosterfees 2026.
More about the mentors:
Oscar Petersen
Oscar Petersen erken dat al sy belangstellings in die lewe, sy gunstelingkarakters en sy unieke sin vir humor gevorm is in Ocean View naby Kaapstad, waar hy grootgeword het. As hy terugdink, onthou hy sy eerste teaterervaring, The Sound of Music, op agtjarige ouderdom as die oomblik toe hy besef het waar hy hoort.
Hy onthou dat die teater êrens in die stad was, maar tot vandag toe kan hy nie die name of gesigte van die goeie Samaritane wat hom so onselfsugtig daarheen geneem het, onthou nie. Danksy hulle strek Oscar se loopbaan oor meer as 30 jaar. Hoewel hy as akteur aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad opgelei is, strek Oscar se vaardighede ook oor onderrig, skryfwerk en dans.
Sy verhoogsuksesse, Meet Joe Barber, Joe Barber and Boeta Gamat Too, Joe Barber 4 The People, Joe Barber 5 School Cuts en Suip! het hom gevestig as een van Kaapstad se voorste skryf- en vertolkingskunstenaars.
Oscar het ook as dosent by die dramadepartemente van die Universiteit van Kaapstad en die Universiteit Stellenbosch gewerk.
Oscar Petersen admits that all his interests in life, his favourite characters and his unique sense of humour were shaped in Ocean View near Cape Town, where he grew up. Looking back, he remembers his first theatrical experience, The Sound of Music, at the age of eight as the moment he realised where he belonged.
He remembers that the theatre was somewhere in the city, but to this day cannot recall the names or faces of the good Samaritans who selflessly took him there. Thanks to them, Oscar’s career spans over more than 30 years. Although trained as an actor at the University of Cape Town, Oscar’s abilities encompass teaching, writing and dancing. His stage successes, Meet Joe Barber, Joe Barber and Boeta Gamat Too, Joe Barber 4 The People, Joe Barber 5 School Cuts and Suip! have put him firmly on the map as one of Cape Town’s leading writing and performing talents.
Oscar has also worked as a teacher at the Drama Department at the University of Cape Town and at Stellenbosch University.
Jana Cilliers
Foto | Photo: Roelene Prinsloo
Jana Cilliers is een van Suid-Afrika se mees gevierde en veelsydige aktrises, met ’n loopbaan oor dekades heen wat teater, film en televisie insluit. Sy is reeds verskeie kere bekroon as Beste Aktrise en is deur die jare vir talle toekennings benoem.
Sedert die vroeë dae van Suid-Afrikaanse televisie het Jana in sleutelreekse soos Dokter dokter, Salome, Arende en Egoli verskyn. Sy het in 1977 haar eerste Artes-toekenning ontvang vir Waiting. Haar filmwerk sluit ’n Plekkie in die son en A Quest for Love in, asook internasionale produksies soos A Private Life (BBC) en Watercolours (Channel Four), waarin sy saam met haar oorlede man, Bill Flynn, gespeel het.
Op die verhoog het Jana ’n wye spektrum ikoniese rolle vertolk: van Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune(met Bill Flynn) en Dance of Death (met John Kani) tot Antony and Cleopatra en In Praise of Love. Haar meesterlike vertolking van Maria Callas in Master Class (onder regie van Mark Graham) het haar ses Beste Aktrise-toekennings besorg. Sy het ook geskitter in Yelena van Reza de Wet, The American Popess(aanvanklik onder regie van Mario Schiess) en Opdrag: Ingrid Jonker deur Ryk Hattingh. Saam met regisseur Mark Graham het sy ook aan die bekroonde musiekteaterproduksie PLAY@RISK deur Megan Willson gewerk.
Vir televisie het sy saam met haar dogter, Lika Berning, in PG du Plessis se Feast of the Uninvited gespeel, en sy het ook in Binneland Sub Judice vir M-Net verskyn. Moeder en dogter het ook saam die dokumentêr Bettiegemaak oor Jana se ma, kunstenaar Bettie Cilliers-Barnard. In 2018 het Jana gehore bekoor as Anna Uys in kykNET se Die boekklub, waarvoor sy twee SAFTA-toekennings ontvang het.
Haar samewerking met regisseur Marthinus Basson het haar laat uitstaan in Kaapse produksies soos 1975, Romeo en Julia, Die storm en Macbeth.Slapeloos. Basson was ook die regisseur van haar debuutstuk Veelhoek, wat in 2024 landwyd getoer het.
Onlangs het Jana haar toegespits op musiekteatersamewerkings, insluitend Mixtape van die liefde en Omwentelinge: ’n Papierspel saam met Koos Kombuis. Sy gee ook onderrig in die Alexander-tegniek in Johannesburg.
RADA-trained Jana Cilliers is one of South Africa’s most acclaimed and versatile actresses, with a celebrated career spanning theatre, film and television. She has earned multiple Best Actress awards and numerous nominations over the decades.
Since the early days of South African television, Jana has appeared in key series such as Dokter dokter, Salome, Arende and Egoli, winning her first Artes Award in 1977 for Waiting. Her film credits include ’n Plekkie in die son, A Quest for Love, and international productions such as A Private Life (BBC) and Watercolours(Channel Four), alongside her late husband Bill Flynn.
On stage, Jana has portrayed a wide range of iconic roles: from Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (with Bill Flynn) and Dance of Death (with John Kani) to Antony and Cleopatra and In Praise of Love. Her tour de force in Master Class as Maria Callas (directed by Mark Graham) won her six Best Actress awards. She also starred in Reza de Wet’s Yelena, The American Popess (initially directed by Mario Schiess) and Ryk Hattingh’s Opdrag: Ingrid Jonker. Working closely with Mark Graham as director, they produced the award-winning musical PLAY@RISK by Megan Willson.
For television, she starred in PG du Plessis’s Feast of the Uninvited, with daughter Lika Berning, as well as featuring in Binneland Sub Judice for M-Net. Jointly they made the documentary Bettie, about Jana’s mother, artist Bettie Cilliers-Barnard. In 2018, she charmed audiences in kykNET’s Die boekklub, winning two SAFTAs for her role as Anna Uys.
Collaborating often with director Marthinus Basson, she shone in Cape Town productions like 1975, Romeo en Julia, Die storm and Macbeth.Slapeloos. Basson also directed her in her first play Veelhoek, touring nationally in 2024.
Recently, Jana has embraced music-theatre collaborations, including Mixtape van die liefde and Omwentelinge: ’n Papierspel with Koos Kombuis. She also teaches the Alexander Technique in Johannesburg.
Rafiek Mammon
Rafiek Mammon het ’n meestersgraad in Opvoedkundige Filosofie van die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Hy was die kunsredakteur van die Cape Times en is ’n voormalige beoordelaar van die Fleur du Cap-teatertoekennings.
Rafiek dien op verskeie ander beoordelaarspanele en word gereeld as teksleser vir kunstefeeste reg oor die land ingespan. Hy is daarbenewens ’n bekroonde dramaturg en is by verskeie teaterontwikkelingsprojekte betrokke.
Rafiek skryf graag en behartig gereeld die regie vir toneelstukke. Hy was ook vir etlike jare ’n dosent in die departement Joernalistiek by KSUT en in film en media by die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Verder het hy teksskryf by Afda doseer en drama (spel) by die Universiteit Stellenbosch.
Hy werk tans as ’n vryskutdramaturg, konsultant en resensent.
Rafiek Mammon holds a master’s degree in educational philosophy from Stellenbosch University. He was the arts editor of the Cape Times and previously served as a judge for the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards.
Rafiek serves on several other adjudication panels and is regularly called on as a script reader for arts festivals across the country. He is also an award-winning playwright and actively involved in various theatre development projects.
He enjoys writing and often directs plays. For several years, he lectured in the Department of Journalism at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and in Film and Media at the University of Cape Town. He also taught scriptwriting at AFDA and acting at Stellenbosch University.
He currently works as a freelance playwright, consultant and reviewer.
Die Nati Jong Sterre-projek word met trots aangebied deur NATi, die Suidoosterfees, die Jakes Gerwel Stigting en Artscape.
The NATi Rising Stars project is proudly presented by NATi, Suidoosterfees, the Jakes Gerwel Foundation and Artscape.
