The Road to Mecca

The Road to Mecca, a thought-provoking, inspiring and magical play by South African playwright Athol Fugard, was inspired by the true story of Miss Helen Martins, an Afrikaner widow who lived alone in the boondocks of New Bethesda, South Africa and created The Owl House, which is now a provincial heritage site. Miss Helen is in danger of being sent to an old folks’ home by a narrow minded minister who considers her sculptures a public nuisance. She is aided by a young teacher who travels from afar to encourage her to stay. The Road To Mecca is the tale of an unlikely artist making her last stand for free expression in Apartheid South Africa.