MOFFIE. Based on the novel by André Carl van der Merwe. Reimagined for the stage by Philip Rademeyer. Directed by Greg Karvellas. With David Viviers. Set, Costume and Lighting Design by Niall Griffin. Sound Design by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder. Photographs by Daniel Rutland Manners. Baxter.
KAREN RUTTER reviews
Philip Rademeyer’s searing adaptation of André Carl van der Merwe’s novel, immaculately brought to life by an A-team comprising director Greg Karvellas, designer Niall Griffin and sound guru Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, is a remarkable piece of theatre, spearheaded by an exceptional solo performance by David Viviers.
Moffie is set in the 1980s in South Africa, when (very) young white men were conscripted into the South African army and inevitably sent to the (then) South West African border to keep it free from both a rooi and swart gevaar. It was already a brutal time, saturated with toxic masculinity, racism and cruelty. Imagine then, the added stress of having to hide one’s identity as a gay man amidst a violently homophobic milieu, driven by Christian Nationalism and the normalisation of aggressive prejudice.
This is the environment that Nicholas (Viviers) finds himself in upon starting his basic military training. Ironically, the exhortations to “be a man” are not unfamiliar to Nicholas, having been brought up by a father with the same rigid definitions of masculinity. In both scenarios, the worst epithet to be called is a moffie – a sissy, a queer, a pansy. The worst betrayal is to be less than a full-blooded heterosexual male. It is perhaps even worse than being a Commie.
But Nicholas is, indeed, a moffie, and while struggling to come to terms with his burgeoning attractions to men, he realises that there are indeed others in the army who are also gay. Unfortunately, so do the authorities, with ever-increasing penalties for those who dare defy the natural order, ranging from being sent to the Psych ward to, in some cases, death – whether self-inflicted or by sadistic bullying, it is all much the same.
Defining oneself
It takes a strong sense of self to be able to survive this sort of emotional and physical savagery – to be able to reach the point where one can say, with strength: “They must not be able to touch us.” Some manage. Some don’t. And such is Nicholas’ struggle, mostly with the army but also with his patriarchal roots, to define himself.
Viviers delivers a performance of remarkable depth, layered with nuance and precision, with Nicholas at the core surrounded by a host of supporting characters, from his overbearing father to the friends he makes in the army. He seamlessly transitions from vulnerable troepie to bullish sersant, with Griffin’s effective lighting and Lingenfelder’s authentic soundscapes transporting one to the Angolan bush, to bleak army barracks, and beyond.
Moffie will be overwhelmingly familiar to those lived through the 1980s in South Africa – most specifically for those who were called up. Yes, it is triggering. It is also one of the finest pieces of theatre I have seen so far this year. Highly, highly recommended.
What: Moffie at the Baxter
Where and when: Baxter from 2 to 27 September 2025
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
