Moffie, ’n solostuk, is vanjaar te sien by die Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, van 3 tot 11 Oktober. Yolanda du Toit het met David Viviers, wat die rol van Nicholas van der Swart vertolk, gesels voor die fees afskop.
Vertel ons meer van die produksie en jou rol daarin.
Moffie is a one-person show based on the book by André Carl van der Merwe. I play Nicholas van der Swart, who reflects on his time as a conscript in the SADF during the late ’70s. We watch him navigate a regime that demands absolute conformity, brute masculinity, racism, and bigotry. It is a time when being homosexual is against the law, where the church and state are totally intertwined.
Die première was by die Baxter Flipside in September 2025. Wat was jou ervaring daarvan?
Since my student days it has always been a dream of mine to perform at the Baxter – and I can’t believe my first time there I was completely alone on stage! We had an amazing response to the show – many full houses and personal responses from the audience members after the show. Many found the play offered them a kind of catharsis or reckoning with their own memories and experiences as conscripts.
Wat is die uitdagings om die rol van Nicholas van der Swart te vertolk?
I think the biggest challenge is that I am completely alone on stage for an hour and twenty minutes. There are no other actors to bounce off of, or costume changes, or props (except for one very specific letter). So, essentially, there is nowhere to hide! The piece requires a massive amount of stamina and focus. Once the train leaves, there is no getting off!
Hoe het jy voorberei vir die rol?
I read as much about the Border War / Namibian War of Independence that I could. I kept up quite a rigorous exercise routine too. (Although the play is not overly physical, I wanted to feel something of that world.) I reread André van der Merwe’s novel, watched numerous documentaries and spoke to people who were in the army. I recently watched Nikki Comninos’s Unspoken war documentary on DStv Catch-up, which only came out last year. It provides multiple perspectives on the Border War, the people it influenced and the feeling of the time.
Hoe moeilik is dit om in ‘n solovertoning op te tree?
I always said I would never, ever do a one-person show – the thought always seemed too terrifying. But when this role came along, I knew I would regret it if I turned it down because I was scared. I also think that all those feelings are exactly what arer needed for this story and character – Nicholas also feels alone and exposed, like there is nowhere to hide.
Van die kritici beskryf die stuk só: “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). Hoe maklik/moeilik is dit om ‘n rol te speel wat soveel uiteenlopende gevoelens teweeg bring?
It is probably one of the most challenging roles I’ve ever been given, but also one of the most rewarding. I think to be able to explore so many emotions and colours in one piece is very rare and extremely satisfying. What really makes it worth it is the reaction from audience members after the show. I don’t think any other work I’ve done has received such personal responses from people.
Moffie speel af in 1979, en spreek swaar temas aan, soos rassisme, apartheid, gelykvormigheid en “manlikheid”. Dink jy dit beperk gehore wat hierby sal aanklank vind, of voel jy dit is juis temas wat deur almal gesien moet word?
I think this is a time in our country’s history that is still uncomfortable and not spoken about. I remember growing up I knew very little about this period, even though my dad had been a conscript on the border. I came across André Carl van der Merwe’s book as a schoolboy and was 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.
But also, although it touches on these “big themes”, it is a beautiful story about friendship, self-discovery and not letting the system break you down. It celebrates gentle moments of beauty in a harsh and brutal environment.
Theatrically, it is also an incredibly immersive, heart-pounding experience, thanks to Charl Johan Lingenvelder’s sound design and Kieran McGregor’s lighting design.
Dit het vyf benoeming by die 61ste Cape Town Theatre Awards ontvang. Hoe lonend is dit om toekennings vir jou spel te ontvang?
What we do is so ephemeral – a show seems to disappears as soon as it happens – so to be recognised with a nomination or award can be a wonderful affirmation and reinforcement that the work was seen, appreciated and had an impact on people.
However, I’ve also done work I’ve been proud of that received no nominations, so it also becomes dangerous to rate your work according to what a panel decides. Or to assume that if there is no nomination the work was not a success.
Jou debuutroman, Mirage, is in 2023 deur Penguin Random House Suid-Afrika gepubliseer. Jy het die 2024 Olive Schreiner-prys vir prosa ontvang, en dit is op die kortlys vir die 2024 Sunday Times Literary Awards opgeneem. Gee dit jou ‘n ander insig omdat jy self ook skryf wanneer jy voorberei vir rolle as om net ‘n akteur te wees?
Actually, I find acting and writing very different processes. With writing, I feel I get to disappear into my own thoughts and go “within”, whereas acting is all about connecting with other people / an audience – sending the energy outwards. But I love the balance of the two. I’m not sure if writing provides another insight into characters, though …
Waarna kan feesgangers uitsien? Wat is die gevoel/boodskap wat jy wil hê hul moet saamneem?
Moffie is an incredibly immersive show that takes you on a relentless, heart-pounding ride which doesn’t stop for 80 minutes. Charl Johan Lingenvelder has crafted a soundscape that really captures the feeling of the time, but also feels incredibly modern. Kieran McGregor’s lighting design is equally immersive. The show also contains beautiful, softer moments and sparks of humour.