Pavane

Pavane is an Afrikaans play by André P. Brink ().

The original text

The play was written by Brink after a visit to South America in 1970, and tells of a three guerrillas from an an unnamed country in South America, who kidnap the daughter of the British Ambassador with the intention of trading her for the release of seven prisoners. The theme of the play has echoes of the South African political struggle at the time.

First produced 1973

Published by Human & Rousseau, 1974.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into English by Anthony Akerman in 1975 and first performed in Cardiff.

Performance history in South Africa

1973: Première production in August, presented by the CAPAB Afrikaans Company's Workshop Theatre in the Hofmeyr Theatre in Cape Town, directed by Mees Xteen. Stage manager Mavis Lilenstein.

1974: In August Marie van Heerden directed an amateur production, using a using a new script that Brink had re-worked it after the CAPAB workshop production in 1973. She staged it in the Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch with the University's amateur theatre society, USAT. The cast were, Space van Heerden ("José"), d'Este du Plessis ("Teresa"), Herman Binge ("Mario"), Lochner de Kock ("Miguel"), Christine Hulme ("Maria-Carmen"), Jannie Hofmeyr ("Antonio"), Henri Laurie ("Pepe") and Sharon Montgomery ("Claudia"), with live music performed by Laurika Rauch.

1975: Performed in English by the Sherman New Plays Workshop in the Sherman Arena[1], University College of Cardiff, Wales. The text was translated and directed by South African Anthony Akerman, who also did the sound and a radio voice. The voice of the "General Baltazar" was played by another South African, Michael Picardie.

1980: Staged by PACT in the Breytenbach Theatre, directed by Francois Swart, with Don Lamprecht (José), Amor Tredoux (Teresa), At Botha (Mario), Eric Nobbs (Miguel), Christine Basson (Maria-Carmen), Gerben Kamper (Antonio), Ben Kruger (Pepe) and Rika Sennet (Claudia). Decor and costumes by Chris van den Berg.