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SCENE IT: RESCUE REMEDY - a turbulent journey to understanding
- Marina Griebenow
- Jun 12
- 3 min read
Marina Griebenow
Roland du Preez’s RESCUE REMEDY is a tender, unsettling, and at times unexpectedly humorous solo performance that delves into the turbulent relationship between a father (Papa) and his queer, sensitive, often misunderstood son (Kind).
The play, directed by Tailyn Ramsamy, is a culmination of du Preez’s mentorship under NATi’s Rising Star programme and is currently showing at Theatre Arts in Observatory before heading to the Vrystaat Arts Festival.
Set against the metaphor-rich backdrop of a late-night drive on the N2 —one of South Africa’s most notoriously dangerous roads— the play uses this physical journey as a frame to introduce the audience to an emotional and psychological reckoning between father and son. Kind’s car breaks down en route to Cape Town, where a new job awaits him. With no other option, he calls his father —a man he clearly does not trust to offer comfort, yet still turns to in crisis.
This reluctant phone call sets the tone of their fraught relationship, where each interaction is laced with emotional landmines. As the journey progresses, Du Preez uses a series of vignettes —“take-outs”— from their shared history to illustrate how layered and painful their dynamic truly is: Papa crushing snails on the path on the way to the kindergarten school, which sends Kind into inconsolable tears; Papa teaching Kind to drive, filled with tension and stress, and humour; Kind, in adulthood, explaining why he wears dresses, trying to carve space for himself while setting emotional boundaries.
These scenes, while fragmented, build a cumulative portrait of a relationship marked by misunderstanding, conditional love, and a yearning for reconciliation. Du Preez’s writing resists the temptation to vilify or sanctify either character, instead presenting a father and son with complexity and nuance, both caught in their own flawed but deeply human attempts at connection. There is no easy resolution —just two people trying, failing, and trying again to speak the same emotional language.
However, while the writing is strong and thematically rich, the production itself occasionally undermines its own power. The structure of the vignettes could be more tightly choreographed, particularly in the transitions between past and present, and in delineating when Du Preez is inhabiting Papa versus Kind. This is where Ramsamy’s direction needs to be sharper —clearer gestures, crisper body language, and firmer pacing would help to maintain the emotional rhythm and support audience orientation.
Some production choices also feel at odds with the strength of the material. The lighting design, particularly the projector light meant to simulate passing traffic, feels more distracting than evocative, and scene changes —where Du Preez physically moves set pieces— puncture the momentum rather than enhancing the journey. With such a powerful script, the design would benefit from being stripped back: let the dialogue, music, and minimal projection carry the weight.
Music is used with intelligence and irony, swinging between upliftment and sardonic humour. Interestingly, the musical choices —Joni Mitchell, Meatloaf— might land more with Papa’s generation than Kind’s, further reinforcing the generational divide. Yet, in doing so, it also anchors the father’s emotional world in something familiar and tender, however clumsily expressed.
Linguistically, the play moves between English and Afrikaans. While this seems intended to enhance accessibility —especially ahead of its festival run— it sometimes muddies the tonal flow. One wonders whether the piece might land more naturally if presented predominantly in one language, with occasional interjections from the other. As with works by Athol Fugard, the ear can interpret English with the cadence and emotional charge of Afrikaans, and the emotional truth need not be sacrificed for inclusivity.
What grips about RESCUE REMEDY is its emotional honesty. It doesn’t sensationalise trauma or resort to stereotypes. Instead, it gently insists on the possibility of connection, even if hard-won. Each encounter between Kind and Papa reveals a glimmer of progress—small steps toward acceptance and love, bolstered by a few well-placed expletives and stubborn persistence.
This is a play that sits within our time and place, speaking directly to South African families navigating generational trauma, gender identity, and fractured communication. This is contemporary theatre doing what it does best: holding a mirror to its audience, not to scold, but to gently urge change. RESCUE REMEDY reminds us that love, in all its clumsy, painful, beautiful forms, is still the greatest remedy of all.
Written and performed by Roland du Preez. Directed by Tailyn Ramsamy. At Theatre Arts in Observatory until 15 June.