Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Melbourne International Arts Festival and Geelong Performing Arts Centre present:
Sizwe Banzi is Dead
Directed by Peter Brook
Sizwe Banzi is Dead is the second of three Statement
Plays created by South African writer Athol Fugard with actors John
Kani and Winston Ntshona. These plays are based on the everyday life of
the urban black community in South Africa during Apartheid. Directed by
the acclaimed Peter Brook, this production of Sizwe Banzi is Dead is dynamic, engaging and very funny.
Performers
Habib Dembele, a writer and political activist who stood as a
presidential candidate for the Republic of Mali, and Pitcho Womba
Konga, a celebrated rapper, hip hop artist and producer from the Congo,
tell the story of Sizwe Banzi and his plight to legitimise his right to
work. Far away from his family, avoiding the authorities and desperate
for employment, Sizwe comes across a corpse and the prospect of
stealing a dead man's papers seems to offer the onl escape route. Sizwe Banzi is Dead is
a morality play that reveals the role of theatre in a political
situation of repression. Focusing on themes connected with identity,
humanity, truth and survival, it is a humorous production of beautiful
simplicity.
During the course of a career spanning more than 50 years, with highlights including The Mahabharata, Peter Brook's impact on theatre has been immense. His production of Sizwe Banzi is Dead has strong relevance today, in a world where identity is determined by a piece of paper, and those without it are nobodies.
By Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona
Adapted into French by Marie Helene Estienne
Lighting Design by Philippe Vialatte
Performed by Habib Dembele and Pitch Womba Konga
Presented by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia and CICT
Performed in French with English surtitles
Supported by Cultures France
Photo: Pascal Gelly/Agence Bernard
Click the link below to download a synopsis of the play
Sizwe Banzi is Dead - Synopsis.pdf (English)
To book your tickets click here
Sizwe Banzi is Dead