The curtain lifts on Albie Sachs, icon and dad

Albie Sachs, Fathers, Sons and Soft Vengeance is on at Theatre on the Square in Sandton from 7 May. The SA Jewish Report speaks to its playwright, Gail Louw, and Graham Hopkins, who plays the role of the national icon in the one-man-show. 

Gail Louw 

What inspired you to write about Albie Sachs? 

In 2022, I was on my way to Israel, where my play about Avrom Sutzkever, the Yiddish poet, was about to be on at the Theatronetto Festival. I saw a post from [artistic director] Ismail Mahomed saying that a play should be written to celebrate Albie Sachs on his 90th birthday. He asked for anyone interested to respond. I did and was lucky and pleased to be offered the opportunity to write the play. The idea was to focus it on Sachs’s book The Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter, as well as his father and sons. 

How did you go about doing your research? 

I read the book and absolutely fell in love with Albie. I adored his wit, his self-deprecation, his reactions to horrific circumstances, his ability to deal with them, and his incredible resilience. I had known about his father, the trade unionist Solly Sachs, from my father, who thought very highly of him. I did the usual trawl through the internet for Albie’s talks, discussions, presentations, and videos to get a wider knowledge of him. After several months, I sent the play off to Ismail. He replied by saying, ‘This is absolutely beautiful.’ Encouraged, I sent it off to Albie, only to receive the comment that I clearly did not know his son, or his father. He said if I was prepared to work with him on the play, then we could continue. 

What was your process in writing the script and how much input did Albie have? 

Albie and I met every four to six months on Zoom, looking at the latest draft. It was never quite right, particularly in relation to my lack of understanding of his son Oliver, his challenges, his intriguing character, and his brilliance. After two or so years, Albie arranged for me to come to his home in Cape Town and get to know Oliver. We spent the day going through the play, and hearing Oliver’s thoughts and experiences in his own words, rather than through Albie’s veneer. I went back home to the UK and redrafted it for the nth time. Oliver came to stay with us for a month during his gap year after matric, and in May 2025, we set up a Zoom meeting with Albie to work through the last few issues. And Albie said, ‘Right, it’s ready!’ 

I was enormously relieved! 

I had actually written two versions of the play, one as a one-man show and one with five actors; one playing Albie, and the others the huge variety of other characters. But we finally decided on the one-man show as working best. 

You have written plays with Jewish and South African political themes. This one straddles both. What draws you to these themes? 

I am Jewish and was born and brought up in South Africa. I was always very interested in South African politics and massively against the apartheid regime. This interest has never left me. 

What does being Jewish mean to you and how has it influenced your career? 

My mother got out of Germany in April 1939 and went to live in Israel, then Palestine. She left behind her beloved parents, who were murdered in 1942. This defining fact of her life impacted her and, consequently, us, and has been fundamental to my identity. 

Graham Hopkins 

How did you go about playing this national icon? 

Director Fiona Ramsay asked me to participate in this project both as co-producer, under the banner of the Troupe Theatre Company, and as the actor representing the great man. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity. Fiona and I have collaborated on the production of various projects over the years, from Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads all of 30 years ago to Simon Woods’ Hansard three years ago. We work well together. 

What is it about Albie Sachs that you relate to and want to be able to share with the audience? 

His story is a compelling one, incorporating his life’s work as a lawyer and activist, as well as the devastating physical impact of the bomb and his slow and painful physical and mental recovery. Sachs lost an arm and the sight in one eye in a 1988 assassination attempt. Interleaved with this narrative is a series of honest and moving reflections on his relationship with both his father and son Oliver. 

The challenge has been to translate the text into the medium of live theatre, giving it both visual interest and storytelling dynamism. 

What is your sense of this man and why he is such an icon? 

I have met Albie Sachs only a handful of times, to discuss this production. One is immediately struck by both his wisdom and his humility. His down-to-earth demeanour is far from what one might expect of a judge, legal luminary, and struggle icon. His ‘short arm’, as he calls it, has become emblematic of the candour and honesty of the man himself, as he chose not to hide behind a prosthesis in order to appear normalised, but to be comfortable and proud to simply be what he is. His appearance has also become a symbol for the sacrifices so many people made in the struggle for freedom. 

How do you go about getting into the character every day? 

I don’t attempt to mimic the singular presence of Judge Albie Sachs, but rather to take his words and to represent him, his experiences, and his emotions in a theatrical space. I hope to honour this national icon in so doing. 

• The production will open at The Baxter in Cape Town in October.