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Celeste Matthews Wannenburgh

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Celeste Matthews
Born
Celeste Mitzi Karin Matthews

1961 (age 62–63)
Cape Flats, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Alma materUniversity of Cape Town, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Occupation(s)Actress, Municipal Councillor (metropolitan municipality), and Radio Personality
Years active1994–present
SpouseAlf Wannenburgh (m. 1992; died 2010)
Children1
Parents
  • Anthony Alexander (father)
  • Lorraine Ruby Gordene Mentoor (mother)
AwardsFleur du Cap Theatre Award

Celeste Mitzi Karin Matthews (born 1961) is a South African actress, playwright, and former City of Cape Town local government official elected to the City Council[1] in 2021.[2][3][4] She is best known for her roles as Gertie Cupido[5][6] in kykNET & kie's Arendsvlei (a telenovela)[7] and Auntie Hester[8] in David Kramer and Taliep Petersen's award-winning 2002[9][10] revival of District Six: The Musical (1987).[11][12] Vincent Colby[13] of the District Six Museum cites the musical play as the material which steered a pivotal discussion held in 1994 at the 'old church hall' in former District Six to establish a dedicated museum.[14]

Personal life and education

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Matthews was born in Klavier Laan (lit. "piano lane"), Steenberg to Anthony Alexander Matthews, a public servant, and Lorraine Ruby Gordene Mentoor.[15] Her childhood home was opposite the Rahmaniyah Masjied (Steenberg Mosque). Matthews’ ethnic background is matrilineally Batswana and Khoekhoen — descending directly from the ‘controversial’[16] 18th century slave,[17][18][19][20] Mento(o)r van Mozambique (1792) of Quelimane at Oudebosch.[21][22][23] According to the Matthews family's oral history, her father's family are of Bantu, St. Helenian, and early Afro-American extraction.[24]

She matriculated from Rosebank's Progress College in 1992, whereafter she obtained her Teaching Diploma from Hewat Teachers Training College (1996);[25] followed by an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) with a major in Science from the University of Cape Town (2003–2004); and completed her B.Ed. Honours degree in Education Management with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (2016).[26] She is the second wife (1992–2010) and widow of the South African author and anti-apartheid activist, Alf Wannenburgh.[27][28][29] The couple have one son. While enrolled at Hewat, she joined the Belhar Players in 1995.[30]

Awards

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In 1999, she won a Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' as 'Sophie' in Heinrich Reisenhofer's Suip! (lit. "drink!") and received a First National Bank (FNB) Vita Award[29][31] nomination for the same role in early 2000.[32][33][34] The play and cast also won an additional Fleur du Cap Award for 'Best New Indigenous Script' (1999) that same evening.[35]

Political career

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City of Cape Town logo.

Matthews participated in the 2021 South African municipal elections as a candidate[36] for Minister Patricia de Lille's Good party[37] and subsequently joined the Cape Town City Council as a proportional representative[38] (PR) municipal councillor (raadslid) on 9 November 2021.[3][39][40][41][42] She is, therefore, one of the 115 PR members that make up the City Council's total membership of 231 councillors.[1] Between 2005 and 2021, she served as a commissioner[43] for the Western Cape Cultural Commission (WCCC),[44] at the invitation of the then minister Pallo Jordan,[45] and as a board member and adjudicator/advisor on several departmental agencies at provincial and national levels under South Africa's Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.[33]

In May 2023, Matthews' name was published in a Provincial Gazette Extraordinary for the Western Cape as one of 17 shortlisted Good party candidates for the Provincial Parliament of the Western Cape seat that became vacant following Shaun August's controversial dismissal.[46] Matthews separated from the Good party in October 2023, and was subsequently given a Certificate of Recognition civic award by the City of Cape Town for her contribution to Sub-council 16 and the wards that comprise it during her two years in Council (9 November 2021 to 6 October 2023).[citation needed]

Original plays/works

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Her own plays, Sandra se Erfenis (first performed by Hewat Drama Group with a student cast at the Grahamstown Festival) — was performed with a student cast at the Grahamstown Festival; and Sonne Skaamte was staged as a 'performed reading' in 2004 at the PlayGround venue at the Baxter Theatre Centre.[47][48][49]

Theatre productions

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Baxter Theatre Centre on the Main Road in Rondebosch, Cape Town.

2023: African Gothic (Reza de Wet's Diepe Grond) at Theatre Arts, Observatory[50]

2018: Tjieng Tjang Tjerries at US Woordfees, Stellenbosch[48][51]

2017: Die dans van die watermeid ("The dance of the water maiden") at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town[52][53][54]

2012: Saying Goodbye to Amelia as 'Nora' at the Catalina Theatre

2008: Kroes as 'Aunty Maggie'[55] (presented at the 2008 Suidoosterfees)[56] at Artscape, Cape Town and Oude Libertas Amphitheatre, Stellenbosch

2007: Shirley, Goodness and Mercy at the Baxter Theatre[57]

2006: Truth in Translation at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg (music composed by Hugh Masekela)[58]

2005: The Goodbye Kiss at Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay

2002: District Six – The Musical as 'Auntie Hester' at the Baxter Theatre (recording released to DVD in 2007)[59]

2002: The Vagina Monologues (directed by Dawn Lindberg [April 2002]) at Caesars in Gauteng and the Baxter Theatre

1999 to 2001: Suip! as 'Sophia' (Aardklop Festival; Perth International Arts Festival [2001] and Octagon Theatre, Crawley, Western Australia [1999?];[60] Klein Karoo Festival; Baxter Theatre; Grahamstown Festival; Opera House, Port Elizabeth; International Arts Festival, Zanzibar; Knysna Theatre)

199*/200*: Moenie Try Nie at Grahamstown Festival[61]

1998: Mix Masala at Artscape[62]

1994: Sandra se Erfenis at Grahamstown Festival (Rhodes Box). Written and directed by Matthews—who also played the role of "Auntie Murie"

Filmography

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Year Film Role Genre Ref.
2021 Angeliena Angeliena's mommy Netflix Movie [63][64]
2021 Atlantis Taxi passenger Movie
2021 Swirl Unknown Shomax Movie [65][66]
2018–present Arendsvlei Gertie Cupido Afrikaans TV Series [31]
2017/2018 Sara se Geheim Debbie Afrikaans TV Series [67][68]
2017 Nama Swaan Grandmother Showmax & Silwerskerm Film Festival [69]
2016 Twee Grade van Moord Nurse 2 Afrikaans Movie [70]
2016 Vinkel & Koljander Neesha Solomons Afrikaans TV Series [71][72]
2013 Lenteblom Vanessa Afrikaans Movie [73][74]
2013 Mad Dogs (British TV series) Kaela (in episode #3.2) British TV Series
2012 Oupa en Ouma Sit op die Stoep Patience Daniels Afrikaans TV Series
2009/2012 Montana Mrs. De Villiers (S1) &

Bonteheuwel Good Samaritan (S2)

Afrikaans TV Series
2011 There Are No Heroes Neighbour Short Film
2006/2010 Stokvel Lynette Isaacs (S4) &

Sister Plaatjies (S7)

Afrikaans TV Series
2007 Der Mann von gestern Unknown German TV Movie [75][76][77]
2007 Geraldina die Tweede Matron Firestone Afrikaans TV Series
2006 Home Affairs Lizzie (S2) TV series
2006 Orion Mrs. Otto TV series
2006 The Piano Unknown SABC2 TV Movie [78]
2005 Known Gods Mara Horing TV series
2005 Scandal! Guest star (S1) TV series
2005 Einmal so wie ich will [de] Nelly German TV Movie
2005 Under the Dark Sun of Africa [fr] Guest star German TV Movie [79][80][81]
2004 Forgiveness Petra Movie
2003 Das Licht von Afrika Amy German TV Movie
2003 Dissonances Gardienne French Movie [82]
2002 Villa Rosa Unknown TV series
2002 Big Oakes Unknown TV series
2002 SOS (Save Our Souls) Unknown TV series
2002 Fishy Fêshuns Flower seller (S2) TV series
2000 Backstage Guest star (S1) TV series

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Work Result Ref
1999 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role Suip! Won [83]
2000 First National Bank Vita Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role Suip! Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Celeste Matthews". esat.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Councillor details. Celeste Wannenburgh". City of Cape Town. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Ontorio for a Forgotten Youth". Cape Times. 2 June 2016. p. 11. Retrieved 12 August 2022 – via PressReader.
  4. ^ "'Arendsvlei' se Gertie vertel oor rol as matriarg". Maroela Media (in Afrikaans). 21 February 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Campaigning on a budget". Weekend Argus. 12 December 2021. p. 2. Retrieved 13 August 2022 – via PressReader.
  6. ^ "Almal rou hierdie Desember – Arendsvlei". Arendsvlei - Almal rou hierdie Desember – Arendsvlei (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  7. ^ Matzke, Christine; Hoven, Lena van der; Odhiambo, Christopher; Roos, Hilde (2020). African Theatre: Opera & music theatre. 19. Boydell & Brewer. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-84701-257-9.
  8. ^ "District Six – The Musical". esat.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  9. ^ Kruger, Loren (28 November 2019). A Century of South African Theatre. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-00802-1.
  10. ^ Forays into Contemporary South African Theatre: Devising New Stage Idioms. BRILL. 11 November 2019. p. 297. ISBN 978-90-04-41446-4.
  11. ^ Harrison, Philip (2005). Arts & Culture. New Africa Books. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-86486-565-6.
  12. ^ The Big Issue, Cape Town. Big Issue Cape Town. 1999. p. 6.
  13. ^ TDR (The Drama Review): the journal of performance studies. MIT Press [for the] New York University/Tisch School of Arts. 2004. p. 140.
  14. ^ "Anthony Alexander Matthews, of Punts Estate". geni_family_tree. 3 September 1926. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  15. ^ Anderson, Clare; Frykman, Niklas; Voss, Lex Heerma van; Rediker, Marcus (19 December 2013). Mutiny and Maritime Radicalism in the Age of Revolution. Cambridge University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-107-68932-9.
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  17. ^ Worden, Nigel; Groenewald, Gerald (2005). Trials of Slavery: Selected Documents Concerning Slaves from the Criminal Records of the Council of Justice at the Cape of Good Hope, 1705-1794. Van Riebeeck Society, The. pp. xvi. ISBN 978-0-9584522-3-6.
  18. ^ Emien Wood. 2019. "’n Genealogiese analise van ’n enkele familie as verteenwoordiging van ’n kultuurgroep: ’n ondersoek na nuwe perspektiewe." PhD Thesis (Stellenbosch University). Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. p. 2. (available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/196259554.pdf).
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  49. ^ Cohen, Robyn (22 November 2023) [22/11/2023]. "THEATRE NEWS: AFRICAN GOTHIC BY REZA DE WET, DIRECTED BY AMEE LEKAS, WINNER OF THEATRE ARTS EMERGING THEATRE DIRECTORS BURSARY 2023". The Cape Robyn.
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