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SCENE IT: A heartbreaking tale of trauma in ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE
- Barbara Loots
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
Barbara Loots
One of the stand-out plays of the 15th Baxter Zabalaza Theatre Festival, ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE, is currently onstage at the Baxter Theatre as part of their Best of Fest offering. It is a call to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of despair.
Written by Lauren Snyders, it is a critical commentary on the fact that the privileged portion of society doesn’t really have any regard for the impact of violence on people’s existence: poverty and violence going hand in hand to establish the invisible wall between the haves and the have-nots. This reality is given a human-interest perspective in ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE as Snyders holds up a mirror to the component of society that encourages this divide. Snyders invites you into the lives of a struggling couple, living in a “pandok” in the ironically named area of “Vergenoeg” where there are no street names or house numbers; where the unseen poor is just far enough removed from the people who can afford safety so that they are not “obligated” to care.
It is there in Vergenoeg that ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE introduces you Henrietta (Hetty) and Robert (Bobby) in their very humble, well-worn abode that struggles to keep the rain from intruding on their small realm of perceived safety.
Initially you think this may be a type of love-despite-the-hardship story; one of a couple trying to survive the pressures of poverty. Life appears to have very few moments of “sunshine and roses” for Hetty and Bobby as they continuously try to fix a leaking roof in the rain and live off love and water (or rather potato soup) alone. You soon realise the rain is more than just a physical discomfort, it’s a very emotional trigger.
As the play progresses it becomes evident that poverty is but one obstacle they face… there’s also the haunting memory of monsters hiding in the dark. Hetty’s struggles to escape her fears make it difficult for her mind to keep a grip on reality. In turn, Bobby struggles with his own associated trauma, heightened by guilt, dedicating his existence to finding small pockets of happiness for his “rose”, for his Hetty; chasing glimmers of “sunshine” wherever he can find it just for her.
The narrative is not linear. As the play unfolds reality is broken up by flashbacks, with the couple’s current day struggles presented as interwoven with happier memories when they met, and more recent violent intrusions that threaten the hope of future happiness, each in turn left broken to various degrees. Tackling a story like this with such a non-linear approach requires a firm hand in order to avoid too much repetition: there’s a thin line between done-for-impact and over-done to the point that you lose the audience. ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE straddles the line ably, however the direction and script needs a bit of tightening at times. Overall the story hits its emotional mark and one leaves the theatre heart-bruised and contemplative.
The fragility of human life and the impact of the violence that characterises the daily lives of the majority of our society is front and centre in ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE. It reflects how far the flight-or-fight response has become the default way of being for the “forgotten” poor communities, where hearing someone scream is so every-day that you take it as a signal to retreat into obscurity rather than respond with aid… rather someone else be the victim so that you can survive to find ways to avoid violence another day.
You can see ‘N PANDOK SE LIEFDE at the Baxter Theatre until 13 September 2025. Tickets can be booked through Webtickets. Please note it carries an age restriction of 14 (with descriptions of violence of a sexual nature). It is performed in Afrikaans with English surtitles.