BEFORE THE END Productions, in partnership with
Theatre on the Square,
presents the powerful, reimagined production of
SARAJEVO
8 – 18 September 2025
Executive producers: Oleh Komorowsky & Youdeshan Padayachy
Directed by Thorsten Wedekind
Written by Aimèe Mica Komorowsky
Voice Coach: Lousie Saint-Claire
Starring Jeremy Richard, Alistair Moulton Black, Aimèe Mica Komorowsky and Ivan Nedeljovic.
Theatre on the Square is proud to announce the return of SARAJEVO, a bold, haunting, and completely reworked production that will resonate more than ever in times such as these.

Rooted in the war-torn history of the former Yugoslavia, SARAJEVO tells the story of three childhood friends—Mirela, Aleksander, and Slobo—bound together by youth but fractured by war, ideology, and fear. As their friendship unravels, a foreign journalist, Peter, enters their lives with a camera and a hunger for truth. His presence blurs the lines between witness and participant, forcing audiences to grapple with what it means to observe, to remember, and to belong.

“SARAJEVO is a play about the collapse of friendship—how war, ideology, and fear can fracture even the deepest bonds. Though rooted in Balkan history, its themes are universal: identity, loyalty, betrayal, and the human longing to hold onto something that’s slipping away,” says Director Thorsten Wedekind. “This story reminds us that those caught in conflict are rarely the ones who cause it. Identity is never simple, and history continues to shape the way we live, remember, and relate to one another.”

SARAJEVO is not only a work of theatre but also an internationally recognised case study. Its earlier iteration, Cheers to Sarajevo, was featured in the Routledge Handbook on Historical Reenactment by Nena Mocnik, PhD, and formed part of the International Workshop on sexual violence in war and its trans-generational impacts (2018).

The play has since toured globally, captivating audiences at festivals in Austria, Ottawa, Rwanda, and Kosovo. Now, Johannesburg audiences have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary reworking in an intimate setting at Theatre on the Square.

This play asks you to come closer—to hold your breath in silence. And in that shared silence, to remember our shared humanity.

Performance Dates: 8 – 18 October 2025
Venue: Theatre on the Square, Sandton
Book here: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1574006464