Verwelkingslied
Verwelkingslied ("wilting song") is a play for two performers by Breyten Breytenbach ().
Contents
The original text
Written in 2024 for Antoinette Kellerman and Marthinus Basson as a contribution to Suidoosterfees's 21st anniversary celebrations, it is a fantasy for two voices about the author himself being in conversation with an old actress, ruminating on old age and death.
This first version was not performed or published.
Translations and adaptations
The text was reworked by Breytenbach himself, and then and adapted by Tessa Louw, with contributions by the director Marí Borstlap, for its posthumous performances in 2025.
Performance history in South Africa
2025: Performed at the Suidoosterfees from 30 April to 2 May, directed by Marí Borstlap with Antoinette Kellerman and Dawid Minnaar. Lighting design by Faheem Bardien, soundscape by Wilken Calitz and video design by Richard Thompson.
Sources
"Om te Breyten: Regisseur gesels oor digter en dramaturg se Verwelkingslied"
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