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PRESS: Critically acclaimed MOFFIE at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
Christine Skinner
The Common Humanity Arts Trust presents MOFFIE at the Adam Small Auditorium, Stellenbosch, as part of the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, from 3 to 11 October 2026.
Following a five-star London premiere and an acclaimed South African debut at the Baxter Theatre in September 2025, the one-man show MOFFIE returns to South African stages for a limited season. Based on the novel by André Carl van der Merwe, the stage adaptation has been brought to life by a stellar South African team, in a powerful, poignant sharing of this story about love, survival, and identity under apartheid.
MOFFIE is set in 1979 against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa, when the South African government's main concern is keeping Southern Africa free of communism, to protect the Afrikaner people, Christianity, and the free world. To do this, they need bodies, and seventeen-year-old Nicholas van der Swart is conscripted into the South African Defence Force. He finds himself in the dark heart of a regime that demands absolute conformity, brute masculinity, racism, and bigotry. Facing the dread of being labelled a 'moffie', and the ever-present fear of exposure, MOFFIE is an exploration of toxic masculinity and trauma, highlighting how, decades into South Africa's democracy, the emotional wounds inflicted during those turbulent times persist, offering a reflection on the lingering scars of the past and their influence on the present and future.
Directed and produced by the former Artistic Director of the Fugard Theatre, Greg Karvellas (Dear Evan Hansen), the production is fully funded by the Common Humanity Arts Trust. MOFFIE is written by Philip Rademeyer (Stinkhout; Niggies), who adapted André Carl van der Merwe’s novel for the stage. In 2019, Van der Merwe’s novel was also adapted into a critically acclaimed feature film, produced by Eric Abraham, who also commissioned this stage adaptation. The stage production is based solely on the original literary work.
Esteemed, award-winning actor David Viviers (The Tempest; Binnelanders) performs the role of Nicholas van der Swart, the closeted conscript whose harrowing journey lies at the heart of this tale. “These men trying to mould us into something we're not… They must not be able to touch us...”
The production arrives at Woordfees carrying a powerful critical response on two continents.
“It is also as close to a perfect piece of theatre as you could want... Throughout a gripping, masterful performance he holds you in the palm of his hand.” – Daily Maverick, Keith Bain
“It will devastate you, disgust you, anger you, disturb you and destroy you. But it will also amaze you, uplift you, inspire you and move you beyond words... Viviers is sensational... This is a performance of a lifetime.” – BroadwayWorld South Africa, Jaime Uranovsky
“A gripping one-man show that evokes a gay soldier’s torment... Karvellas’s production strips everything away except the pain and beauty of one young man’s survival. It’s theatrical storytelling at its most essential.” – The Guardian
“A searing, brutal, exposing and highly personal account... simply stunning... first class.” – The Stage
Following its South African premiere, the production earned five nominations at the Cape Town Theatre Awards (the rebranded Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards): Best New South African Script for Philip Rademeyer, Best Director for Greg Karvellas, Best Performance in a Revue, Cabaret or One-Person Show for David Viviers, Best Sound Design, Original Music, Soundscape or Live Performance for Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, and Best Lighting Design for Niall Griffin.
Viviers, a two-time Fleur du Cap Theatre Award-winning actor, says, “It is a huge honour and responsibility to bring Nicholas’ journey to the South African stage. I remember coming across van der Merwe’s book as a schoolboy and being deeply affected by it. I realised then that there was a lot I didn’t know about our country’s past. There were things that weren’t spoken about because it was easier not to. Moffie holds up a mirror to our past in a way that is honest, relentless and also beautifully fragile. I am really excited to share this story with audiences.”
Lighting Design for the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees season is by Kieran McGregor (Pretty Woman: The Musical; My Name Is Lucy Barton), with Sound Design is by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder (Prima Facie; King Kong – The Musical).
This landmark production invites South African audiences to witness it again, a story that, for too long, remained in the shadows, and now returns to the country that lived it.
“Audiences can expect an intensely immersive theatrical experience. Staged as a gripping solo performance, Moffie places Nicholas alone in a stark, stripped-down set, a mound of military kit bags symbolizing the baggage of war and identity he carries. Every moment is charged with emotion, drawing spectators into a soldier’s internal battle in a way that only live theatre can achieve,” says Director Greg Karvellas. “The journey of Moffie has been an incredible one: from opening in London, to bringing it back to South Africa, and now having another opportunity at Woordfees feels very special, and incredibly urgent. The violence and trauma inflicted on so many young lives needs to be remembered, and even more so because of the continued violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ community, not only here in South Africa but all over the world. The story that Moffie tells, a title that is itself a terrible slur, is painful, but it's also a call to rally, to never forget what hate and violence has done, and continues to do, to the world.”
Performance Details:
Adam Small Auditorium, Stellenbosch
Saturday 3 October, 15:00; Sunday 4 October, 19:00; Monday 5 October, 10:00; Tuesday 6 October, 18:00; Saturday 10 October, 20:00; Sunday 11 October, 10:00
Age Restriction: No under 14s.
Mature themes including bigotry, violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and suicide.
Run Time: 85 minutes (no interval).
Performed in English.
Tickets: R210–R350 in advance, R240–R380 at the door.