'Kat and the Kings' Co-Creator Petersen is Murdered

South African theatre artist Taliep Petersen was murdered on December 16th by burglars who were robbing his Capetown home.  He was 56 years old.

"According to news reports from South Africa, late on Saturday (16 December 2006), armed robbers broke into Petersen's home and after robbing and locking six family members in other rooms, took Petersen into the living room where they emptied a safe, tied him up, robbed him of his mobile phone and other devices and shot him. Police reported: 'The body of the deceased was found in the TV room with a bullet wound in the neck. His hands and feet were tied with tie-strips.' The murderers fled in an unidentified vehicle and are still at large," states Whatonstage.com.

Petersen was best-known to American and English audiences for co-creating the Olivier Award-winning Kat and the Kings with David Kramer, whom he met in 1986.  With Kramer, he also created others shows such as District Six, Crooners, Klop Klop and Spice Drum Beat - Ghoema, which recently opened at London's Tricyle Theatre and continues its run through January 27th.

Prior to his partnership with Kramer, Petersen performed in South African productions of hit American musicals such as Hair, Godspell and Pippin.  He also toured South Africa and Mozambique with a jazz and variety roadshow and, later, formed the band Sapphyre.

Kat and the Kings, Petersen and Kramer's biggest hit, "offered a glimpse of the 'Cape Coloured' community through the life of a non-white band during apartheid."  The show, which won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 1999, also had a run on Broadway and an international tour.  Spice Drum Beat - Ghoema, featuring a mix of folk songs and new music, continued the team's exploration into Capetown's history; the show reaches back into the days of Dutch imperialism.

"Taliep lives on in his music. It's a great honour to be able to perform it and keep him alive in that way. Whenever we walk on the stage and sing these songs, Taliep will be there with us," stated Kramer.

"He was one of the most wonderful, talented and greatest human beings I have known. He was able to capture our entire history, express our deepest pain, articulate our joy, and demonstrate our humanity through music and drama," stated Ebrahim Rasool, the premier of the Western Cape Province.

The remainder of Spice Drum Beat - Ghoema's run will be dedicated to Petersen, and Kramer plans to organize a Capetown memorial concert after Spice Drum Beat -Ghoema has completed its London run.