The Road to Mecca | The Road to Mecca

At a glance:

Author: Athol Fugard
First Published: 1985
Type of Plot: Problem play; psychological
Time of Work: 1974
Setting: South Africa
Principal Characters: Miss Helen, Elsa Barlow, Marius Byleveld
Genres: Drama, Problem play, Psychological drama
Subjects: 1970’s, Africa or Africans, Art or artists, Individuality, Spiritual life or spirituality, Creative process, South Africa or South Africans, Loneliness, Old age or elderly people
Locales: South Africa

The Road to Mecca takes place in the town of New Bethesda, in the heart of South Africa’s arid Karoo. The year is 1974, and the setting is the home of Miss Helen, an elderly widow whose work as an artist has led to her increasing estrangement from her neighbors. The play opens as Miss Helen’s young friend Elsa Barlow, a teacher from Cape Town, arrives unexpectedly for a visit. The older woman, her appearance unkempt and her small house in need of a thorough cleaning, is flustered by the surprise visit, and the two quarrel as Miss Helen fusses over her guest....

The Road to Mecca | The Road to Mecca

At a glance:

The Play

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