Sarajevo
1992 Bosnia. Two lovers, Mirela a Bosnian Muslim and Aleksander a Bosnian Serb are due to be married. Slobo, their childhood friend, will be the best man. When civil war erupts the lovers are suddenly thrust onto opposite sides of a bloody conflict. Aleksander and Slobo are conscripted to the Serbian Army. The divide deepens. Told through the lens of an ambitious South African conflict journalist, Peter, who infiltrates their lives so deeply that he is no longer merely a voyeur. As the dream of Yugoslavia dies so does the dream of Aleksander and Mirela’s marriage.
We feel an absolute urgency to tell this story so it is remembered and never forgotten. So much of what happened in Yugoslavia was about violence against difference. Without expressing our traumatized past we continue to manifest war into our daily mentality. A mentality of destruction brought into our homes as rape, into our friendships as betrayal, and ultimately into our society as apathy. War, hate and violence are perpetuated on the international news daily. The power of theatre is to speak beyond the limitations of print and online media. Sarajevo epitomises the importance of compassion, forgiveness and love in a world that is submerged in fear, pain and discrimination. This story needs to touch the hearts of the enemy and remind them that the man we kill is our brother, the women we rape is our mother and the children we maim, they are the future of our humanity.
Audience Responses
Thought provoking. Upsetting. Scary. Great cast. Excellent acting. Special mention to Max du Toit.
It was a very well done performance. A great added touch at the end was the opportunity to 'debrief' the rather shocking experience, as well as to get inside the development of the production.
Very good.
Very brave with great performances
Very brave with great performances
A community service show for a minority group in CT. Not my cup of tea. Exhausting to watch perpetual smoking. Ass flash dreary and i a fear the actress will have her teeth smashed out by the over-eager inaudible gun-waving actor. Besides the negatives the intentions are good. I think it is great the venue caters for all groups. I disliked the show but it as nice to see a small group of foreigners able to gather, enjoy each others company and enjoy theatre (albeit it horrid). That was special. The event,venue and people enabled a bit of love to go around.