London | June 6, 2024

MOFFIE (World Premiere)

“These men trying to mould us into something we’re not… They must not be able to touch us…”

Set against the brutal realities of apartheid-era South Africa, MOFFIE is a gripping and deeply personal story of identity, survival, and the cost of conformity. Adapted for the stage from André Carl van der Merwe’s novel, this powerful production follows seventeen-year-old Nicholas van der Swart, who is conscripted into the South African Defence Force at the height of the country’s oppressive military regime. In an environment built on brute masculinity, racism, and bigotry, Nicholas must navigate both the external violence of the Border War (1966-1989) and the internal battle of self-acceptance, as the constant threat of being outed as a “moffie”—a derogatory term for being gay—looms over him.

Directed by Greg Karvellas, MOFFIE brings this harrowing and intimate story to the stage with Kai Luke Brümmerreprising his acclaimed role as Nicholas, following his celebrated performance in the 2019 feature film adaptation. The production explores the lasting psychological scars of toxic masculinity, repression, and trauma, reflecting on how South Africa’s past continues to shape its present.

More than a war story, MOFFIE is an unflinching look at the cost of intolerance, the weight of shame, and the courage it takes to defy expectations. In 2024 South Africa marked over 30 years of democracy, this production served as both a confrontation of the past and a meditation on its ongoing impact.