Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Peter Pan is Uys-ed by Evita
comedy again and to enter the wild, larger-than-life, magical world of JM Barrie’s imagination. It’s also an honour to share the stage with such talented fellow-actors – and it’s always fun to play the villain.”
Expect spectacular costumes, sets and effects.
“In the past, we’ve done some ambitious productions including a full-blown musical adaptation of Disney’s The Jungle Book.
“What has been incredible about this year’s production is that the right talent was available at the right time and agreed to come on this magical journey with us.
“One of the many wow factors of this year’s production if that Peter Pan will fly out right over the audience. So be prepared to be amazed by all the wonders of Never-never-land.”
Moving away from children’s theatre, we go to Pieter-Dirk Uys. Now in his 71st year, he is a Peter Pan of the theatre world. He remains forever young, spry, passionate and raging at our political landscape and how it has shaped us.
As he has often said, we can confront ourselves – “by laughing at our fears” – and he continues in his quest to shake us out of inertia and pay attention to what’s around us.
He will present a double bill at Theatre on The Bay: Evita Bezuidenhout and the Kaktus of Separate Development is on from Tuesday, June 20, to July 1. Echo of a Noise follows from July 4-15.
Echo of a Noise is Uys’s memoir focusing on two great influences in his youth: his father Hannes Uys and the family housekeeper, Sannie Abader.
The show premièred last May at the Theatre on the Bay and went onto to play at the National Arts Festival and around the country. Tannie Evita Praat Kaktus started in 1995 in Darling at Evita’s HQ as a “Sunday conversation” with visitors to Evita se Perron.
Uys explained: “This is the first time out of Darling for Kaktus. The material is new. It has been adapted and kept topical with various additions since then and has been developed to reflect our present political confusions and contradictions – from colonialism, racism to radical transformation into junk – all with wry smile.
“The first half is a dissection of our ANC presidents, from Mandela to Zuma, who all have left vivid impressions on Evita. The second half is the exploration of where we come from, so that we can celebrate where we are going.”
Uys is always on the go, performing locally and abroad, and “next year is shaping up with shows in London, Copenhagen, Holland, Berlin and maybe New York”.
Peter Pan is at the theatre at Canal Walk from July 1-23. Performances are Tuesday to Sunday at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm. Tickets are are R80. Evita Bezuidenhout and the Kaktus of Separate Development is at the Theatre on the Bay from June 20 to July 1. Tickets are R100-R180. Echo of a Noise is on from July 4 -15. Tickets are R120180. Bookings for Canal Walk and Theatre on the Bay, through www. computicket.com or 0861 9158000.