Acclaimed Play Boesman and Lena to Debut at Two Major Arts Festivals

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Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena takes the stage at two major festivals this October — Momentum Aardklop from 8 to 11 October and Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees from 15 to 19 October.

The play tells a story of displacement, survival, and human connection. Don’t miss the chance to see the production brought to life by two beloved Cape Town actors. Tickets are available through Webtickets for Aardklop and Quicket for Woordfees.

Cast: Lee-Ann van Rooi (Fishy Feshuns), Brendon Daniels (Four Corners), Tshamano Sebe

Director: Christo Davids

Writer: Athol Fugard

Translator: Vinette Ebrahim

What is The Plot of Boesman and Lena?

Boesman and Lena are a homeless couple wandering the mudflats near Port Elizabeth after their shack was torn down. They carry all they own on their backs, tired and bitter from walking. Boesman is harsh and silent, while Lena keeps talking, trying to piece together where they’ve been and how their lives ended up here. She remembers beatings, rejection, and constant moving, while he builds another rough shelter and shuts her out.

When an old man appears on the flats, speaking a language they can’t understand, Lena welcomes him. She gives him water, shares her food, and talks to him as if he can listen. Boesman resents the stranger’s presence and grows angrier as Lena finds comfort in simply being seen. That night, after Boesman drinks himself cruel, the old man dies quietly beside the fire.

Boesman panics and lashes out, afraid of being blamed. He destroys their shelter and packs to leave again. Lena, exhausted and heartbroken, stays by the old man’s body. She refuses to rush this time. When she finally picks up her bundle, she tells Boesman to walk slowly—and if he ever hits her again, to make it the last time.

Characters

Boesman

Boesman is a tired, middle-aged man who carries everything he owns on his back. Life has been hard on him, and he takes that anger out on Lena. He hits her, insults her, and twists the truth to make her doubt herself. Boesman’s cruelty comes from years of feeling powerless and pushed down. After losing their shack, he’s left bitter and restless, moving through each day with no plan or hope for what’s next.

Lena

Lena has lived too long in Boesman’s shadow. She’s thin, bruised, and worn-down, but there’s still something gentle in her. She remembers the life they’ve lost and the children who didn’t survive. When she meets the old man, Outa, she shows a kind of warmth Boesman can’t understand. Talking to Outa gives her a brief sense of freedom and a small way to stand up to Boesman’s control.

Outa

Outa is an old man who barely speaks, but his presence brings quiet change. He listens, even without understanding Lena’s words. To her, he’s a moment of calm in a life filled with noise and pain.

Facts about Boesman and and Lena

The play premiered at the Rhodes University Little Theatre in Grahamstown, South Africa, on 10 July 1969 — and Fugard himself played Boesman in that first production.
Its U.S. debut was an Off-Broadway production at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 1970, which won an Obie Award for Most Distinguished Foreign Play of the season.
Much of the play is carried by monologues — especially from Lena, who speaks to Boesman or to herself (or to the old man, Outa) to reconstruct her life and identity.
The language of Boesman and Lena mixes English, Afrikaans phrases, and Xhosa.
Symbolically, Lena carries her possessions on her head, while Boesman carries his on his back — which critics often interpret as reflecting differences in how oppression weighs on them.
Fugard’s critics have praised the play not only for its depiction of apartheid but also because it “transcends time and place” — as a drama of human suffering, identity, and resilience.
Boesman and Lena was adapted into a film in 1974, directed by Ross Devenish.