(Pieter-Dirk
Uys and some of the characters who appear with him!)
The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway is bringing
back South Africa’s king (or should that be queen?) of satire, Pieter-Dirk Uys,
for two shows only on January 26 and 27. This time he will present his latest
offering Adapt Or Fly, his one man
show that has taken South Africa by storm.
Tannie Evita, Juju, Pik Botha, Nowell Fine,
Mrs Petersen, the old Krokodil, Madiba and our dancing Prez are coming to put
the smile back on faces. In a time of depression, recession, fear and anger,
what is better and more healing than a good laugh at the expense of those who
depress, recess, frighten and annoy us?
Reflecting the past year of radical change
in South Africa through political paralysis, from the R100 million ANC
centenary celebration in January, right up that long winding road to end up in
Mangaung, the ruling party was too busy fighting each other for personal wealth
and political power to bother themselves about running a country up, or down.
Do we now face another year of non-action in preparation for the 2014 General
Election? Do we adapt? Or do we fly?
Some 30 years ago Uys started his total
onslaught against careless, corrupt and unacceptable politics. Apartheid might
officially be dead today, but the careless, corrupt and unacceptable political
crooks and clowns are still dancing centre-stage.
Adapt
Or Fly is a personal political comedy-trek along a
familiar long tiptoe to freedom, through the minefields of racism and sexism
that have always made up the tarmac of our political freeway. Laughter at fear
has always been Uys’s trademark, from the darkness of his first one-man show in
1982 Adapt Or Dye, to the dazzling
kaleidoscope of rainbow colours in this 2013 show Adapt Or Fly.
Uys joins his chorus-line of characters
that include a motley medley of past National Party leaders (DF Malan, JG
Strydom, HF Verwoerd, BJ Vorster, PW Botha and FW de Klerk), balanced with the
more familiar quartet of ANC Presidents from Nelson Mandela, via Thabo Mbeki,
through Khalema Motlanthe to Jacob Zuma and beyond. The Malema nickname ?Kidi
Amin? does come to mind, but then also the question: “Julius who?”
Kugel Nowell Fine enjoys her 35 years as
the ultimate Jewish African Princess with a look at her now in her 70’s, as
well as a glance back at the 1985 Nowell, young, blonde and deep in a liberal
white struggle with her maid Dora. And then there is, of course, Evita
Bezuidenhout waiting to embrace her job as chairperson of the proposed Media
Tribunal as a new member of the ANC.
It is said when history repeats itself, it
can take tragedy and turn it into farce. So banish the blues. Come and enjoy
the blacks, whites, browns, yellows and “others” that make up this unique
country of our dreams. As long as we can laugh at our fear, we are still in
charge of our future.
Adapt
Or Fly performances take place on Saturday at 20h00
and on Sunday at 14h00. Tickets R140 pp and for bookings and enquiries, phone
The Barnyard Theatre on 031 566 3045 or visit www.barnyardtheatres.co.za/gateway
For further information e-mail gateway@barnyardtheatres.co.za
or visit www.facebook.com/gatewaybarnyard
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