The Road to Mecca

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The Road to Mecca
Written by	Athol Fugard
Characters	Rev. Marius Byleveld Elsa Barlow Miss Helen
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The Road to Mecca is a play by South Africa's Athol Fugard.

It was inspired by the story of Helen Martins who lived in Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape, South Africa and created The Owl House, now a national monument.

The play was performed at the National Theatre in London and then moved to the Spoleto Festival USA in 1987 starring Athol Fugard as the Rev. Marius Byleveld, Charlotte Cornwell as Elsa Barlow and Yvonne Bryceland as Miss Helen.

The play was turned into a film in 1992, directed by Athol Fugard and starring Athol Fugard as the Rev. Marius Byleveld, Kathy Bates as Elsa Barlow and Yvonne Bryceland as Miss Helen.

1 Plot
2 Books
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Plot

Miss Helen is a widow who lives alone. Inspired by a vision she has decorated the walls of her home with broken glass which creates beautiful and calming effects while reflecting the candle light that she prefers. Outside in the garden she has created a world of cement sculptures of wise men, camels and owls all facing east towards Mecca.

This behaviour has alienated her from the conservative, Calvinist church whose local congregation views her with suspicion.

She befriends Elsa, a young teacher from Cape Town.

One night, Helen burns herself. Fearing for her safety, Elsa comes to visit. At the same time, the local pastor, Marius Byleveld, comes to help Helen apply for the local Old Age home. He is secretly in love with her and fears for her "idolatry" and her exile from the church.

However, with Elsa’s help, she decides to stay in her home.

"The Mecca metaphor speaks to the relationship between imagination and freedom. Miss Helen's candles illuminate the deep connection between creativity and light". ^[1]