The Life and Work of Petrovic Petar

The Life and Work of Petrovic Petar by Sanjin Muftic.

The original text

Devised and developed by Sanjin Muftic and Jason Potgieter.

The piece is a solo multimedia performance in English, Xhosa, Zulu and Bosnian depicting an Eastern European refugee who tries to become a part of Africa. Published in Fleishman, M. (ed.) Performing Migrancy and Mobility in Africa. Studies in International Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, London.

From the Musho International Festival programme:

"At a very young age, Petrovic Petar lands in Africa as a refugee. From that very moment he begins his journey across the continent and also his search for his own place on it. Told through a combination of live performance and multimedia, the story documents Petrovic’s life story from being a little boy drawing a portrait of himself to an old man travelling through Africa’s largest desert. Along the way, we discover his fascination with Africa’s biggest animals, watch his arguments with some of Africa’s most controversial leaders, and observe his love of some of Africa’s most beautiful women. The man lived with big dreams, and even bigger adventures. How much of the story is true and how much is imagination is for the audience to decide. While Petrovic recounts his story, one cannot be sure if these are the memories of an old man, or the imaginings of a young boy. Through his story, the characteristics that make Africa home educate and entertain the audience: the music, the rituals, the history, and the people.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2007: Presented at the Intimate Theatre.

2008: Presented at the Musho International Theatre Festival in the Kwasuka Theatre (January) and presented by Yawazzi Theatre Productions at the National Arts Festival in June/July, directed by Sanjin Muftic and performed by Jason Potgieter, with drawings by Jon Keevy.

Sources

'Musho International Festival', artsmart, 3 January 2008

2008 National Arts Festival Fringe Booking Kit

Muftić, S. (2015). Play Text: The Life and Work of Petrović Petar. In: Fleishman, M. (eds) Performing Migrancy and Mobility in Africa. Studies in International Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Go to ESAT Bibliography