SCENE IT: Loss, regret, and transcending love in I CAN’T SPEAK FOR FREDDY

Barbara Loots

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I CAN’T SPEAK FOR FREDDY, a play about transcending friendship (and love), is currently onstage at the Homecoming Centre for a limited run until 23 August 2026, before transferring to The Outlore Base for two nights, 27 and 28 August 2026.

Photo Source: @flt.company (IG).

Directed by Morné Visser, the story focusses on the turbulent yet true friendship of a young playwright, Andy Kidd (Alyssa Dion) with her closest confident, biggest competition, and first love, Freddy (Matthew Vey) during their years as drama students. Over their varsity years the friendship is strained by betrayal and their ruthless pursuit of the approval of an emotionally manipulative drama professor who exploits the insecurities and past traumas of his students to turn them into “better” actors.

Andy, the narrator, is confronted with the finality of death in various forms throughout the play. Her world and her friendship with Freddy, are characterised by regret: She clings to memories while reclaiming her story and voice with the knowledge that you can’t rewrite the past, no matter how much it hurts. In doing so, she may not be able to speak for Freddy, but she can stay true to him in the way she refuses to forget him. One way or another he will always be part of her reality.

At certain moments the script definitely has an emotional tug, but on the stage, it plays a bit too angsty and overwrought at times. The fate of Freddy is rather obvious from the start in the way the play is structured, so you run the risk of your audience losing interest because there’s no real what-if hook.

We can't speak for Freddy, but we must sadly speak about theatre boxes. So many theatre boxes, which seem to be constantly in motion. This student teaching tool turned professional stage clutter does no actor any favours, as the audience starts watching those movements, and (depending on how many there are) counting them, speculating what which box will double as… ultimately a myriad of theatre boxes just breaks the momentum, as well as the character connections actors work so hard to establish with an audience. This does not mean that expensive sets are the answer; the combo of minimalism and imagination can do much to establish a real connection with an audience and make them really invest in and care about a character’s inner turmoil.

Photo Source: @flt.company (IG).

The play has a clear focus audience group: It will play well to Gen Zs as it adopts many elements of the modern-day high-tension “will-they, won’t-they” banter driven romance tropes that they gravitate towards. In a world where performance and reality intertwine, will Andy and Freddy find love for one another, and will it survive? If you enjoy streaming shows like Sterling Point, I think I CAN’T SPEAK FOR FREDDY will be a theatre experience that resonates with you.

You can catch I CAN’T SPEAK FOR FREDDY for a limited run at the Homecoming Centre until 23 August 2026, or if that doesn’t work for your diary try and catch it for two-nights only at The Outlore Base on 27 and 28 August 2026. For both venues tickets can booked online through Quicket. Please note the play carries and age restriction of 13 and touches on themes of violence and death.