THE speculation and guessing is over, Lara Foot Newton, will succeed Mannie Mannim as the director of the Baxter Theatre when Mannim retires at the end of the year.

Foot Newton is the fourth director in the Baxter’s thirty-two-year history. Founding director John Slemon established the complex as a venue for cutting edge and daring theatre during his tenure between 1977 and 1995. Slemon was followed by Rodney Phillips who was succeeded by Mannim in 2000.

“This is great news for theatre in South Africa,” Manim said.

The 42-year-old Foot Newton has been associated with the Baxter Theatre Centre since 2005 when she relocated to Cape Town from Johannesburg to take up the position of Resident Director and Dramaturge – a post that she held until 2007.
 
“I am delighted and honoured to be appointed to this position,” says Foot Newton.
“I look forward to fostering creative relationships with the artists of Cape Town, the University and adjacent districts. Following in the footsteps of Mannie Manim is a great challenge so I hope to build on what he has achieved and strengthen the success of the Baxter in the years to come.”

Lara was born and grew up in Pretoria. She completed her BA (Hons) degree at Wits University in 1989 and in 2007 she attained her Masters Degree at the University of Cape Town.

She has directed over 40 professional productions, 29 of which have been new South African plays. She was the founder of the Barney Simon Young Directors and Writers Festivals. She has been integral in the development of more than 35 new South African plays. Lara’s passion is the development of new indigenous work, young writers and directors.

In 1996 Lara was made Resident Director of The Market Theatre and from 1998 to 2000 she took up the position of Associate Artistic Director. In 2004, she won the prestigious Rolex International Theatre award and worked in London with the celebrated director Sir Peter Hall for a year.

More recently Lara has become involved in film. Writing and co-directing the interdisciplinary short film And There is the Dust, which won five international awards and two Golden Horn awards. She was selected to be part of the Sundance Film Writer’s Lab in 2007 and the Sundance Film Director’s Lab in 2008.
 
Her four plays Tshepang, Hear And Now, Reach and Karoo Moose have all toured internationally with great success and they are published by Wits Press and Oberon books. In 2000 she adapted Zakes Mda's Ways of Dying at The Market Theatre. Last year Karoo Moose and Reach were nominated for nine Fleur Du Cap awards and Karoo Moose received eight Naledi awards.

The contemporary classics which Lara has directed include Peter Shaffer’s Equus and Amadeus, Athol Fugard’s Hello and Goodbye, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Samuel Beckett’s End Game and Waiting for Godot, Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Harold Pinter’s Betrayal.

She has directed several new South African works including Paul Slabolepszy's The Return of Elvis Du Pissanie, Sue Pam Grant and Dj Grant’s Take The Floor and Athol Fugard’s Victory as well as her own work.

Lara has won many awards over the years. These include the Fleur du Cap Award for Outstanding Young Director (1992), National Vita Award (shared with Athol Fugard) for Best Director (1994), Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award (1995), Fleur du Cap Award for Best New South African Play for Tshepang (2003), Rolex Mentor and Protégée Arts Award (2004), mentored by Sir Peter Hall, Golden Globe Best Short Film Award (2006), the Milan Film Festival Best Short Film award (2006), Aardvark Award for Most Innovative Production (2007) for Karoo Moose, four Fleur du Cap awards for Karoo Moose, including Best New Play and Best Director (2008), White Ribbon Award for Women in South Africa who make a difference (2008) and eight Naledi Awards for Karoo Moose including Best New South African Play and Best Director (2009).

Lara will join the Baxter Theatre Centre on November 1, working with Mannie Manim until his tenure comes to end at the end of December this year.