POPULAR FUGARD PLAY AT MASQUE
Director Barbara Basel’s deeply-felt interpretation of “The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard opens at the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg, on Friday 26 July 2013. The combination of Basel’s directing style and three strong actors will give the audience new insights into this popular Fugard play.
Helen Martins, a sculptor of works in glass and cement (which she refers to as her Mecca), is at a crossroads in her life. She feels like an outsider in her own community of New Bethesda. Only her long-distance friend Elsa offers emotional support and acceptance. In the character of the dominee we see some of the rigidness of the local community, at odds with his own feelings for Helen.
Martins embodies the sense of alienation some of us experience in a society that misunderstands what is unfamiliar and sees it as threatening. Today her Owl House and its fascinating sculptures are famous.
The play takes place during the course of one evening in which all three characters bare their souls in an attempt to decide on Helen’s fate. While “The Road to Mecca” is a drama, there are many light-hearted and touching moments in the play.
The Muizenberg Dramatic Society’s production of “The Road to Mecca” by Athol Fugard, directed by Barbara Basel, runs at the Masque Theatre, Muizenberg, from Friday 26 July until Saturday 3 August (excluding Sunday to Wednesday). The tickets are R55 for Thursday evening and Saturday matinees and R65 for all other shows. (Masque Theatre Club Members enjoy a R10 discount). To book phone or