Albie Sachs’ extraordinary life comes to The Baxter stage

The extraordinary life and legacy of Albie Sachs will take centre stage at The Baxter Studio in Cape Town this October, with Albie Sachs: Fathers, Sons and Soft Vengeance offering an intimate portrait of one of South Africa’s most remarkable human rights figures.

Running from 13 to 31 October 2026, the one-person production stars Graham Hopkins as Sachs and explores his journey from anti-apartheid campaigner to constitutional architect, survivor and advocate for justice.

Written by Gail Louw and directed by Fiona Ramsay, performances take place at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm.

From anti-apartheid activist to survivor

Poetic and deeply personal, the play draws on Sachs’ experiences of political activism, trauma, fatherhood and recovery.

It traces his commitment to justice from joining the struggle against apartheid at 17, through years in exile, to the devastating 1988 car-bomb attack in Mozambique carried out by apartheid-era security forces.

Sachs lost an arm and the sight in one eye in the attack.

At the heart of the production is Sachs’ philosophy of “soft vengeance”. Rather than seeking bitter retribution, it centres on the belief that building a free, democratic and humane society founded on human rights and justice can serve as a response to oppression.

The man behind the public figure

The production also explores Sachs’ relationship with his father, Solly Sachs, and his own experience of becoming a father later in life to his youngest son, Oliver.

Through these relationships, audiences encounter the man behind the public figure: an idealistic activist, wounded survivor, devoted father and philosophical elder.

“His story is both epic and intimate – spanning resistance, loss, recovery and fatherhood,” says director Fiona Ramsay. “It captures not only what happened to Sachs and what he did, but also who he is: his moral vision, emotional resilience and unwavering idealism.”

Albie Sachs play heads to The Baxter

The Baxter season follows a successful run at Theatre on the Square in Sandton earlier this year, where the production received favourable audience and critical responses.

The creative team includes Oliver Hauser on lighting, Dean Pitman on sound, James Dee on the short arm, with set design by Ramsay and Hopkins.

The production is presented by Troupe Theatre Company and The Baxter Theatre, in association with Daphne Kuhn.

Ramsay, a multi-award-winning performer, has previously appeared at The Baxter in Blonde Poison and The Opera Singer. She also collaborated with Hopkins on Hansard.

Albie Sachs: Fathers, Sons and Soft Vengeance runs at The Baxter Studio from 13 to 31 October 2026.

Performances take place at 8pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm. Tickets are available through Webtickets online and at Pick n Pay stores.

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