Tributes are pouring in for acclaimed South African actor Lionel Newton, who has died at the age of 61.

Newton’s family confirmed his death earlier this week, describing him as one of South Africa’s most extraordinary actors. He is survived by his two children, Daniel and Rebecca.

Newton had a particularly significant creative partnership with acclaimed theatre-maker Andrew Buckland.

The pair collaborated on several groundbreaking physical-theatre productions, including Bloodstream, Feedback and The Well Being, with Lara Foot, who is the mother of his children, also involved in the latter.

Bloodstream earned Newton and Buckland the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First Award in Edinburgh, while Newton received a Vita Award for his performance. Their work combined physical theatre, comedy and deeply human themes, and helped push the boundaries of South African theatre.

The Baxter Theatre says Newton leaves behind a career spanning more than 40 years, with more than 50 stage productions and numerous award-winning performances.

His credits included Waiting for Godot, The Tempest and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, as well as films including Triomf, Stander, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Jozi.

Newton’s contribution to South African theatre, film and television has been described as immense, with colleagues remembering a fearless, uncompromising and deeply generous artist.

Fellow actor Sello Maake kaNcube described Newton as a “brother in arms” from their formative years at The Market Theatre, saying his passing is the loss of a remarkable artist.

His family says a memorial service will be announced later this year.