Theatre: Rescue Remedy
13 October at 18:30
Adam Small Laboratory
Rescue Remedy not only shines a spotlight on the queer community in contemporary South Africa, it also reminds us of the often-conflicted relationships we have with our fathers.
The play is a one-person dramedy directed by Tailyn Ramsamy and written by Roland du Preez, who also stars in the production. Rescue Remedy follows Kind, a young queer person who, after their car breaks down on the N2 highway, seeks the help of their father, Pappa. Determined to leave him in the rearview mirror, Kind is forced to seek his assistance.
Roland du Preez plays Kind in Rescue Remedy, directed by Tailyn Ramsamy. PHOTO: Supplied/Francois Odendaal
The play draws on periods in Kind’s life, which sees the father-and-son duo navigate love, misunderstanding, and anger. Kind cites their anxiety as the “leftover” anxiety of a 17-year-old boy marching through the Namib Desert, referring to their father.
Du Preez plays both the father and the son and easily slips between the roles. Their stage presence is electric; not only do they capture the anxieties of a troubled youth, but also the anger and trauma embedded in Pappa’s character.
They have a massive task in presenting a father hardened by his past and perfectly captures this with a great monologue about “punching through walls”. This monologue, one of the standout moments in the show, exhibits a father who attempts to understand his child and yearns for a better relationship than he had with his father.
Rescue Remedy is Roland du Preez’s first solo play, which was first staged in-the-round at Kaapstad Toneelhuis. PHOTO: Supplied/Francois Odendaal
The stage is populated by four blocks and a projector screen, which Du Preez utilises effectively to display either the inside of a vehicle, Kind’s bedroom, or a nightclub, amongst many places that point to pivotal moments in the father and son’s relationship, such as the first day of school or the first driving lesson. Each rasp of a voice and twitch of a brow perfectly replicate a son’s tumultuous memory of their father.
Above the blocks and the screen hang dresses belonging to the main character. The projector changes, the lights brighten, and the dresses fall from the ceiling, where Kind can reach and fit them on.
Rescue Remedy effectively combines props and sound to transport us to different moments in Kind and Pappa’s life. The tight 50-minute runtime is filled with punchy one-liners and moving quotes that make you think about the lived realities of queer people.
Rescue Remedy is a father and son’s odyssey in understanding each other and the story of intergenerational healing. It is a production that will remain in the memory for quite some time.
- Rescue Remedy can be seen on 15 October at the Adam Small Laboratory. Tickets are available on Quicket.