Fugard Play helps Family realise theatre dream.

Weekend Post - Yolandé Stander

A passionate mother and son duo have found personal healing on stage through one of Athol Fugards's most emotionally gripping plays "Hallo and Goodbye".

Yvonne and Jacquest Batista will be taking the Afrikaans version of the piece - Hallo en Koebaai - to the 2011 Absa Fugard Festival in Nieu Bethesda in the Eastern Cape next week. Not only will they stage the piece in celebration of Fugard's 80th birthday next year, but they will realise a lifelong dream - performing it in front of their idol, Fugard himself.

"If he likes how we portray his work, it will be the ultiamte stamp of approval," said Yvonne.

She plays Hester, a woman who returns to her home in Port Elizabeth in the 1960s after a long absence. Hester spent most of her adult life in Johannesburg where she became a prostitute. Jacques plays her brother, Johnnie, who had remained in Port Elizabeth to look after their invalid father.

The play delves deep into raw human emotion as the siblings deal with years of bitterness, anger and desperation.

"You take a yourney with the characters - an emotional roller-coaster. There is a lot of tension between the caracters," diector Steven Bolhuis said.

Jacques - who knew the play well before he became involved - only started rehearsing about two months ago.

He describes the story as an "emotional landscape" that everyone could relate to. "When I first read the script, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I've had difficult things happen to me. No psychologist has helped me with those issues like this play has," said Yvonne.

Her own interest in drama began when her son whent to university.

"I needed to feel close to him and drama filled that void."

The festival, which runs from September 23 to 26, will honour of Fugard's work.