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About Bo

bo petersen

Head shot Oslo.jpeg

Bo Petersen has worked as a professional actor in South Africa for more than 40 years, working on stage, TV and film. She has also made a name for herself as

a director. 

 

Bo has a deep commitment to nurturing and developing original South African theatre, working with undiscovered talent and well-established actors. Her own acting trajectory has been firmly based in innovative and challenging productions.

She has established a successful supplementary career as a dialogue and drama coach for the feature film and advertising industry, working with among others, Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Ryan Reynolds and William Hurt.

Bo currently resides in the USA where she continues to write, direct and perform.

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

2016

STANDARD OVATION AWARD Winner, THE GRAVEYARD

 

Directed and won 2 FLEUR DU CAP, Best Actor and Best Lighting, DEAD YELLOW SANDS

 

2014

FLEUR DU CAP and NALEDI AWARDS Nominee, Best Supporting Actress, VANYA, SONYA, MASHA AND SPIKE by Christopher Durang

 

2013

FLEUR DU CAP Nominee, Best Actress, STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT by Athol Fugard

 

2010

FLEUR DU CAP Nominee, Best Director, BLACKBIRD

 

2008

FLEUR DU CAP Nominee, Best Supporting Actress, CISSIE

 

ARTES, Nominee, Best Actress, DEATH IN THE FAMILY

 

1996

FLEUR DU CAP, Winner, Best Production Award, MEDEA

 

1993

FLEUR DU CAP, Nominee, Best Supporting Actress, KINDERTRANSPORT
 

1991

FLEUR DU CAP, Nominee, Best Actress, TWELFTH NIGHT
 

1989

FLEUR DU CAP, Nominee, Best Actress, COMEDY OF ERRORS

THEATRE 

PIECES OF ME

Erica/Marjorie/Petronella/Sarah/S.V. Petersen

dir. Bo Petersen

NIGHT OF THE IGUANA            

Hannah Jelkes

dir. Fred Abrahmse

WHITE ELEPHANT

Mother

dir. Phillip Rademeyer

THE GRAVEYARD

Ma

dir. Phillip Rademeyer

VANYA, SONYA, MASHA and SPIKE

Sonya

dir. Bobby Heaney

STATEMENTS

Frieda Joubert

dir. Kim Kerfoot

HELLO AND GOODBYE

Hester

dir. Sherry Smith

MEDEA

Medea

dir. Mark Fleishman

KINDERTRANSPORT

Helga

dir. Roy Sargeant

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW

The Woman

dir. Johan Esterhuisen

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Truvy Jones

dir. Fred Abrahmse

WHO’S LIFE IS IT ANYWAY

Dr Clare Scott

dir. Keith Grenville

EQUUS

Jill

dir. Mario Schiess

DECADENCE

Sybil/Helen

dir. Ron Smerzac

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

7 characters

dir. Barney Simon

BURIED CHILD

Shelley

dir. Lucille Gilwald

ROMEO AND JULIET

Lady Capulet

dir. Fred Abrahmse

TWELFTH NIGHT

Viola/Olivia

dir. Keith Grenville/Clare Stopford

COMEDY OF ERRORS

Adriana

dir. Mark Wilson

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Margaret

dir. Keith Grenville

GREASE

Rizzo

dir. Joan Brickhill and Louis Burke

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS

Angel

dir. Des and Dawn Lindbergh

UP 'N ATOM

Various roles

dir. Marilyn van Reenen

CINCINNATI

Vikki

dir. Barney Simon

SUPERHEROES

Girl

dir. Neil McCarthy

BRECHT ON BRECHT

Various

dir. Barney Simon

GOING DARK

Emily

dir. Neil McCarthy

THIS IS FOR KEEPS

Anna-Maria

dir. Vanessa Cooke

TWO TO TANGO

Lisa Doyle

dir. Ruth Levin

CISSIE

Helen Potter James and various others

dir. Nadia Davids

FILM

CHRONICLE

Sandra Detmer

dir. Josh Trank: Fox Productions USA, Film Afrika

THE LOST FUTURE

Village Woman

dir. Mikael Salomon: Film Afrika Worldwide

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU BLACK AND WHITE

Sheila Dawson

dir. Oliver Rodger: Ollywood Productions

AMELIA

Amelia’s mother

dir. Mira Nair: Avalon Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures

END GAME

Esterhuyse’s Wife

dir. Pete Travis: Daybreak Pictures, Film Afrika

TO BE FIRST

US Journalist

dir. Patrick Reams: Do Productions

THE WOODEN CAMERA

Estelle’s mother 2003

dir. Ntshaveni Wa Luruli: ODELION

 

OUT ON A LIMB

Isabella Leach

dir. Robert Heath: Faith Productions

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

Shella

dir. Mark Bamford: Wonder View Films/ Moonlighting Films

CITIZEN VERDICT

Anna Paterson

dir. Philippe Martinez: Lucky 7 Productions

TELEVISION

CAPTIVE

Rachel Chandler

dir. Ursula MacFarlane, Netflix

KILLER INSTINCT

Jean Schwarskopf

dir. Sean Smith, ITN Productions

SAF3

Lois Dunnigan

dirs. Various: Patsy Pictures

THE FINAL VERDICT II (Eps 7)

Attorney Murray

dir. Mandilakhe Yengo: Carol Bouwer Productions, SABC

OUTCASTS

Sarah

dir. Omar Madha & Bharat Nallurich: Kudos

ATLANTIS

Kita ne

Moonlighting Productions

ELLA BLUE

Kitty Cloete

dir. Darryl Roodt: Waterfront Productions

DEATH IN THE FAMILY

Elizabeth du Plessis

dir. Annie Basson: Cape Waterfront

DIRECTING

2019

LOT’S WIFE by Laurie Nathan. Performed at Goshen Art House, Goshen, Indiana, US

GRAND CONCOURSE by Heidi Schrek. Performed at The South Bend Civic Theatre, South Bend, Indiana, US

HELLO AND GOODBYE by Athol Fugard. Performed at The Nest, Vancouver, Canada

LOT’S WIFE by Laurie Nathan. Staged reading at The South Bend Civic Theatre, South Bend, Indiana, US

2016

DEAD YELLOW SANDS by Graham Weir. Performed at The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town; Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Grahamstown; Hilton Festival, Hilton; The Market Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa

LOT’S WIFE by Laurie Nathan. Staged reading at Methodist Church, Cape Town and The Alexander Bar, Cape Town, South Africa

2015

DEAD YELLOW SANDS by Graham Weir. Performed at Alexander Bar, Cape Town and Grahamstown Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa

2013

LETTERS FROM PATIENT ESSOP by Graham Weil. Performed at The Arena Theatre, Cape Town and The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town

2012

COCKROACH by Jonathan Nkala. Performed at HIFA Festival, Zimbabwe

        

2011

BLACKBIRD by David Harrower. Performed at The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

COCKROACH by Jonathan Nkala. Performed at Die Suidoosterfees, Cape Town; Hilton Festival, Hilton and Voorkamerfees, Darling, South Africa

HOT CROSS NUNS by Not the Midnight Mass. Performed at The Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

2010

BLACKBIRD by David Harrower. Performed at The Arena Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

THE CROSSING and THE BICYCLE THIEF by Jonathan Nkala. Performed at Festival, New Mexico USA

2009  

THE CROSSING by Jonathan Nkala. Performed at HIFA Festival Zimbabwe and Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa

2008  

THE CROSSING by Jonathan Nkala. Performed at The Garage Theatre, Cape Town and The Space Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

MIND THE GAP by Graham Weir. Commissioned for the Main Festival at Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa

LETTERS FROM PATIENT ESSOP by Graham Weir. Performed at The Arena Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

2000  

LETTERS FROM PATIENT ESSOP by Graham Weir. Performed at The Cape Town Festival, Cape Town, South Africa

1998  

BLACK HEN by Graham Weir. Performed at The Coffee Lounge, Cape Town, South Africa

INDUSTRIAL THEATRE for De Beers. Performed in Johannesburg, South Africa

1997  

TALES FROM A DARK CORNER by Graham Weir. Performed at The Darling Theatre, Darling, South Africa

1989  

THE ROAD TO MECCA by Athol Fugard. Co-directed. Artscape, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth Theatre, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

TRAINING 

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

Bi-lingual Performer's Diploma in Speech and Drama

JULLIARD SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS

Accent Workshop

EILEEN BENSKIN SHORT COURSE LONDON

Short Course in Received Pronunciation and Gen Am accent

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