Marat/Sade

(Its full title: The Persecution and Assassination of Marat as performed by the Inmates of the Asylum at Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade) A musical play by Peter Weiss, offering a complex, challenging and disturbing look at revolution. First produced by 1963 ** in 19**. 1963 play by Peter Weiss. The work was first published in German.

The English version of the play is by Geoffrey Skelton, with lyric adaptation by Adrian Mitchell and staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964, directed by Peter Brook. The same production opened in New York in the Martin Beck Theatre on December 27, 1965.

The play was filmed in 1967, again directed by Peter Brook.

Performance history in South Africa

1972: This landmark play was first performed in South Africa in 1972 by Barney Simon.

1973: In March 1973 (the Simon production?*) was chosen as the central production of MDALI’s Black Arts Festival.

1976: On October 19th Barney Simon did another version of the play with The Company as opening production in the Market Theatre main theatre.

1980: Directed for the Baxter Theatre by Mavis Taylor.

2014: Performed in the UJ Arts Centre Theatre in April as part of UJ Arts and Culture’s RƎVO⅃UTION MMXIV programme. Directed by Alby Michaels, with Motlatji Ditodi as co-director, Craig Morris as choreographer, Franco Prinsloo as musical director, Nic Mayer as set designer, Oliver Hauser as lighting designer and and Jo Gladwill in charge of costumes. Performers include Jacques Bessenger, Mothusi Magano, Jenna Dunster and an ensemble cast of emerging performers including UJ alumni and students.

The play has been a popular training vehicle for Drama Departments ever since its appearance in the 1970s.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat/Sade

http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/Newsroom/News/Pages/UJ%E2%80%99s-MARATSADE-set-to-challenge-and-provoke.aspx

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