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Subject: My View by Robyn Sassen - MacBeki - 04/2009 - Artslink.co.za NewsCopyright
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Review: MacBeki
My View by Robyn Sassen:
"MacBeki" is a seething mass of political humour.
It splays our nation's intimate secrets, revealing chilling parallels with
the classical tragedy.
Structurally, "MacBeki" rests on the Shakespearean tragedy; its humour is
sometimes cheap in its urbanity, sometimes cutting in its cruelty, brilliant
in its bitterness. It's a tale of Aids and its discontents, of this
country's crippling challenges: from xenophobia to misinformation and
ministerial corruption, and one of unbridled lust for power, in its ugliest
(and most pathetic) form. But this is a farce, not a tragedy, even if the
underlying layers hit home with profundity more than the rolling heads and
blood baths in other interpretations.
MacBeki (Mpela), is a small man, cowed by an overpoweringly shallow woman.
Lady Manta (Moshesh) is a tippler; she's an elegant, occasionally clumsy
caricature, who plays into idiosyncrasies of court gesture with delicious
sullenness. With bad hair and uncomfortable shoes, she drives her husband's
shenanigans, and is taken by "the liver rejecting the body" after a
transplant. But for the "unsex me" monologue which is too heavy-handed,
Moshesh manifests a beautiful balance between physical humour, wiliness and
naïveté. Tripling as the child who warns Macbeki of the attack from
Polokwane Forest and as Winnie, she's the play's unequivocal star.
Part of this play's success hinges on casting. Sebotsane is a perfect
MacZum; his dance, in Zulu dress to Umshini Wam is outrageously chilling.
And there stands MacBeki, on a wooden box (to give him height). His
academe-speak slipping meaninglessly off his tongue, his wife gone, his
enemies ignoring him - a fate worse than death.
The corollary to the play is the porter (Meiring). She epitomises white
South Africanness, complete with its chip on its shoulder, education and
guilt. "Alas our poor country", she utters, toward the play's denouement.
"It is too frightened to look at itself. This is no longer the land where we
were born; it's the land where we'll die." She doubles as Celine Dion, whose
sugary music is the weapon of mass distraction, precipitating the loss of
relevance of King Maduba (Molepo) and MacBeki, the latter in a camp and
wonderfully ghastly crucifixion scene.
The crooks in a Marx brothers' ethos (Stuurman, Fok, Ditshego), who double
as the journo witches - gifted, by dint of their cell phones, with
clairvoyance - cite their mantras with woodenness; this is balanced by the
text's acerbic wit. The Jewish caricature Fok offers is too dated in its
Shylock Europeanness to be convincing.
The set plays into the angle of Uys' criticism. Evocative of a traditional
African lapa, with upright poles defining the space, a mock baobab tree, and
thrones made of uprights, in a garden-furniture-like aesthetic, it presents
a woody prism into what is to be, but does make for an understanding of
MacBeki in his office anachronistic.
With arbitrary references to popular culture, the humour in "MacBeki" is
cheap and easy in the first half, blunting the production's edge; as the
plot thickens, the nuances become more layered more poisonous. Having said
all that, you've got to know your "Macbeth" for this one. Without the aid of
Polanski's interpretation, I would have floundered and dozed.
"MacBeki", written and directed by Pieter-Dirk Uys; design by Nicholas de
Klerk (set, costumes) Noluthando Lobese (costumes) and Declan Randall
(lighting). Performed by Meme Ditshego, Kenneth Fok, Lizz Meiring, Coco
Merckel, Arthur Molepo, Nthati Moshesh, Fezile Mpela, Mpho Osei-Tutu, Sello
Sebotsane, Renate Stuurman. Main Theatre, Market, Newtown, until May 3, 011
832 1641.
Review: Macbeki: a farce to be reckoned with
By Peter Feldman:
Thursday, April 02, 2009
The Comrades and William Shakespeare make unusual bedfellows. But this is what
happens when a gifted playwright like Pieter-Dirk Uys sets his mind to
re-writing one of The Bard's most famous works with inspiration from members of
the ruling party and other characters who happen to get in the way.
This slice of lunacy, which provides audiences with moments of great
hilarity and clever word interplay, makes for an engaging night at the
theatre.
Uys' magic begins to weave it own spell as the hilarious action unfolds and
the various identifiable characters make their appearance.
Described as a "transgressive variation" of "Macbeth," the
play retains the
elements of ambition, power, deceit and greed during its discourse, with the
happy family of South African players contributing immeasurably as the farce
unravels.
Written last year, the comedy is set in Luthuli Castle where the aging King
Maduba (Arthur Molepo) is nearing the end of his reign. In the wings,
successors plot and scheme, including his favourite Comrade Lord Ramabanquo
(Mpho Osei-Tutu), Lord MacBeki (Fezile Mpela) and the ambitious alcoholic
Lady Manta (Nthati Moshesh).
The canvas is extended as a number of other characters, including Lord
MacZum (the imposing Sello Sebotsane), Prince McTrev (Coco Merckel) and The
Porter (the inimitable Lizz Meiring), are drawn into the struggle.
The three witches from Macbeth have been reinvented as journalists (Renate
Stuurman, Kenneth Fok and Meme Ditshego). And instead of receiving messages
through supernatural means, as in "Macbeth," this lot receive theirs
via the
cell phone.
In this election year, it's interesting to note how Pieter-Dirk Uys has
seized upon an opportunity to create works that confront and expose
individuals who have such frightening power.
The set and costume designs by Nicholas de Klerk are impressive and director
Uys manages to maintain a tight rein on proceedings - even though it's a
relatively long play and some of the dialogue is difficult to hear because
of indistinct vocal delivery.
"Macbeki - a farce to be reckoned with" is on in the Main Theatre at
the
Market until 3 May.
Copyright 1997-2010, <http://www.artslink.co.za/> Artslink.co.za.
All
rights reserved.
ELECTIONS & ERECTIONS at the Joburg Theatre
'I'd forgotten how funny Pieter-Dirk Uys is. His delivery is superb, his
analysis spot-on and no one is spared. This is a must-see show. It is
irreverent, cutting-edge and above all, incredibly funny. Uys is a living
legend.'
Therese Owen - SATURDAY STAR 7/3/2009
'Pieter-Dirk Uys in performance is at once hilarious and harrowing, for
he is a marvellously laconic observer of both his own and other people's
follies.
It is a devastating, brilliant and outrageous lampoon. In a flawless piece
of
political audacity that encourages his audience to view their world as a
wonderfully funny and carefully crafted comedy, Uys plays his throat like
a penny whistle, handling his material with integrity and a light touch,
helping with the only really necessary revolution: the revolution in the
heart.'
Mary Jordan - BUSINESS DAY 10/3/2009
'Pieter-Dirk Uys, one of South Africa's most celebrated theatrical
figures, certainly has his timing right. Weeks before the election, Uys
has
created a show that is both educational and hugely entertaining. As always
the
material is excellent and Uys sparkles as Evita. It's the stuff we need
right now.'
Feldman@ the theatre - ARTSLINK 4/3/299
''n Mens verlaat die teater met 'n bree glimlag, 'n positiewe(r) blik op
landsake en politiek en 'n hernuwde waardering vir 'n satirikus sonder
gelyke. ELECTIONS & ERECTIONS is doepa vir meer as net die getroue
teaterganger.
Moet dit nie misloop nie.'
Kobus Burger - BEELD 10/3/2009
'It is truly a joy to see him back onstage, giving the flaccid
wishy-washiness of pre-election doublespeak a kick where it can be felt
most palpably.'
Robyn Stasse - Artslink March 2009
'As he dazzles with his brand of diplomacy - slapping everyone equally
hard, he has us laughing at the country we love. He has a wonderful
brittle mix of humour.'
Diane de Beer - TONIGHT STAR 6/3/2009
'He's providing a priceless public service by helping ordinary folk face
the difficult issues head-on.'
Bruce Dennell - CITIZEN 6/3/2009
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Published: 2009/03/05 20:26:17
The Citizen
Hard one
SHOW: Elections & Erections - This latest version of Pieter-Dirk Uys’s much adapted play about, as he puts it: “the two things that were illegal when I was young – democracy and sex”, is a strange animal, writes Bruce Dennill
CAST: Pieter-Dirk Uys
VENUE: The Mandela at the Joburg Theatre, until March 15
Uys is world famous both as a comedian and as a political commentator, and there are a number of moments in this piece where these facets – usually seamlessly integrated – rub up against each other (if you will) in a rather uncomfortable fashion.
Uys long ago earned the right to be heard on the topics discussed in the show (which is why, when Evita Bezuidenhout, pictured, threatens to run for president, politicians are unsure whether to play along or to re-plan their campaigns).
But the current situation in South Africa seems to have done more than inspire Uys. It appears to have annoyed and angered him. This is completely understandable, but he’s opted on many occasions in this piece, for open vitriol rather than the sublime satire that has made his shows a must-see for decades.
The consummate raconteur, Uys still has the power to move audiences deeply with his stories of forbidden love (or lust) across the colour line. There’s some very neat stagecraft as he morphs, briefly, into Kgalema Motlanthe. And, as Evita, his spontaneous responses to audience questions and repartee with foreigners in the crowd is excellent.
Note: if you don’t want to be challenged and possibly have your country of origin wickedly disparaged, don’t put up your hands when Mrs Bezuidenhout is looking for volunteers...
The interview slot in the second half, though – Uys will have a number of high-profile guests over the course of the Elections... run – was perhaps a bridge too far for fans who came along for a thought-provoking laugh or two.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille, ever the good sport, came on to shoot the breeze with Bezuidenhout, but, while her grasp of rhetoric is impressive, her comic timing is a little off, and the slot dragged a little as both women (well, you know...) laboured to make the point that voting is important.
This is the underlying message of this run of Uys’s production and, as always, he’s providing a priceless public service by helping ordinary folk face the difficult issues head-on. It’s just that doing so in a context where people have gone to escape from reality causes all sorts of issues.
But then, what do you learn hanging around in a comfort zone?
Tannie Evita tells parties how to do it
By Helen Grange - She Star
This article was originally published on page 6 of The Star on March 04, 2009
Ever thrifty with a PR - er, political opportunity
- Evita Bezuidenhout held the Johannesburg launch of her one-member Evita's
People's Party (EPP) at the Joburg Theatre on Tuesday, the eve of the Joburg leg
of her Elections & Erections, the political parody that has enjoyed a hugely
successful run in Durban.
South Africa's darling from Darling declared: "My party is not about
politics. It's about people and what they do to make politics work. It is about
elections. It is about the vote.
"I do not belong to a political party. I think we have had too many
parties... We must not stop having parties; we must start working, and working
together," Bezuidenhout said.
The EPP was launched in Cape Town in October, with Bezuidenhout saying her party
would "fill the empty space left by infighting in the ruling ANC".
| 'It is time to look beyond the political roundabout' |
"It is time to look beyond the political roundabout and see who really matters," said Bezuidenhout, who suggested Googling candidates to check out their background, and making sure you are registered to vote (www.elections.org.za).
"EPP will be the Jack Russell at the gates of our democracy to bark loudly when our constitution is threatened, to howl when our constitutional rights are demeaned... Let the people lead, and the politicians will follow," she said.
The EPP has invited parties to publish their manifestoes on its website (www.epp.org.za). "Each party will present their best recipes for a future," says Bezuidenhout. "Shop around and find the dish to your taste!"
Though her party wouldn't be on the ballot paper, "we'll be there in spirit", she smiled.
| Mshowerlozi must go on | ||
| Vumani Mkhize - THE TIMES | Published: Mar 04, 2009 | |
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WHILE politicians spout rhetoric ahead of the elections, Evita Bezuidenhout has taken to squirting water from the head of a Jacob Zuma doll. Bezuidenhout, also known as Pieter- Dirk Uys, produced a doll called “Mshowerlozi”, a play on Zuma’s clan name Msholozi, at the launch of the Evita’s People’s Party at the Johannesburg Theatre yesterday. The party is a part of Bezuidenhout’s latest stage production, Elections and Erections, which is on circuit until May. The caricature of Zuma was dressed in Zulu attire and had a shower attached to its head, poking fun at Zuma’s suggestion during his rape trial that showering after unprotected sex would protect him from HIV. Flanked by ANC spokeswoman Jessie Duarte, Bezuidenhout delivered her manifesto, often throwing jibes at the ruling party, which drew chuckles from Duarte. Following Duarte’s departure, Bezuidenhout brought out the Zuma doll, spraying journalists with water from the shower head. “Barack Obama inspired the American people with that wonderful trilogy of words, Yes We Can. I want to inspire South African voters by reminding the politicians ‘No You Can’t’,” she quipped. |
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| Showers, sex and other burning questions |
March 3, 2009 If so, yes, I will be able to redecorate the various houses. But a business proposition would be simpler: 'JZ? Step away from the presidency and when I become president you can become pastor in charge of monogamy'. I like Jacob Zuma. He still allows me to call him by his Zulu name: Innocent. Others call him Mshowerlozi! Should one shower or smoke after having sex? Neither. As a good wife you make your husband a nice cup of tea and switch on the volume of the TV so that he can also listen to his favourite sports programme. He usually has it on mute during 'the act'! If you're a Zulu, of course you can smoke in the shower while having sex, I am told. As a First Lady of some standing, what advice do you have for Zuma's five wives? Some guidelines on how to handle various occasions. Do them one at a time. One First Lady per occasion. Decide who's best at what. Never wear the same clothes. Lead by example and keep your weight under control. Learn a few phrases of welcome in all 11 languages, in addition to Chinese and Russian. Give JZ a proper timetable for visiting. He has 32 cars in his convoy to park and those blue lights can drive you mad. Hide all Zapiro cartoons from him. Shopping in Hong Kong. If you're followed by paparazzi, would you assault the photographer? How would you handle the situation, particularly if your people, in Bapetikosweti, were starving, many dying of cholera? My people in my homeland never died of these things, because they would be looked after. Remember, they had the vote – and a casino … People always follow me to see what I buy and then follow suit. As for the paparazzi? I always treat them with polite disdain and sometimes manage to take pictures of them before discarding their cameras into the nearest gutter.
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Evita wil nie Zuma se volgende vrou word
MONDAY 23 FEB 2009
DAILY NEWS / TONIGHT
"Embrace wit, wisdom - if you dare"
By Gisele Turner
Elections & Erections
Who: Pieter Dirk-Uys
Where: Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre
When: Runs until March 1.Tuesday to Saturday and 3pm shows on Sunday.
Rating: ****
Pieter-Dirk Uys has, with his extraordinary talent and courage, changed
the face of South African theatre and comedy.
So much of what is around these days in the way of stand-up, cross
dressing and disguise comes from his original works, which broke very hard
ground. He
continues to be inventive, original, sharp as wolves' teeth and hilarious
and, if, as in Elections and Erections, he allows his vulnerability to show,
it gives us a twinkle of insight into the kind of man he is under the
vigilant intellect and hard-line comment.
Elections and Erections is a double-bill in a way - featuring Uys and a
selection of characters old and new in the first half and utterly devoted
to his splendidly mature alter ego, Evita Bezuidenhout, in the second.
She proved her on-her-feet (in elegant shoes) capacity to carve into her
audience and guest (in this case the unpopular and exceptionally
thick-skinned self-proclaimed "Dictator of Durban", Mike Sutcliffe)
with the most
incredible combination of saccharine and caustic soda.
She demonstrates a masterful handling of audience members who cannot
speak Afrikaans and so reveal themselves as foreigners. They are given a wicked
tongue- lashing attacking their countries' policies, which is refreshing.
Volunteer any information at your peril, for Bezuidenhout is in full
flight, little eyes glittering like cut glass. You can hear her brain working.
Sustainability in the theatre industry is a challenge and Uys is fearless
in his continued pursuit of his craft. Being an icon can pose problems:
expectations are higher and people are prone to make comparisons with earlier,
more
energetic works or simply fail to understand the level of expertise
required to pull off the multiple tricks.
But by including some damn-near-perfect ventriloquism, a couple of
masterful puppets, off-the-press material and a few in-the-news characters Uys
keeps himself in form and his audience in stitches.
There were, however, moments of over-kill and if anyone should be acutely
aware of the danger of gaaning on just that bit too much it should be this
veteran performer. Enough about the grandchildren, Evita!
The thrust of Elections and Erections is, of course, the forthcoming
elections: an ideal playground for Uys to frolic on. As always, the mind-blowing
misdemeanours, idiotic sayings, appalling behaviour and scandalous
scenarios that are part of the real lives of our politicians provide excellent
material for his wit and wisdom.
We are encouraged to vote - at the same time there is a despairing
concern as to who to vote for! No matter: Evita Bezuidenhout's party, the EPP,
and its
significant cactus (with the pricks on the outside) will welcome you with open
arms.
Embrace them if you dare!
Elections and Erections plays the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre until Saturday.
Booking is at Computicket.
Published on the web by Tonight on February 24, 2009.
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© Tonight 2009. All rights reserved.
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NATAL MERCURY 19 FEB 2009
"Boos and ovations on Evita's (Durban) platform"
By Billy Suter
Boos and jibes at a Pieter-Dirk Uys show - and lots of them? Followed,
not long after, by an ovation?
It happened at Wednesday's opening of Elections & Erections, the seasoned
satirist's latest chronicle of fear and fun, the title of which, he has
said, was inspired by two things that were illegal when he was growing up in
apartheid Cape Town.
Elections happened here, but democracy was a virtual experience, Uys has
stated.
And erections, yes, they happened too - but were taboo under the old
regime, when they arose from a man wooing another man... who also happened to be
of another colour.
Elections & Erections serves both issues, with Uys dishing up a meaty
stew of characters from his past, present and future - a melting pot of matters
both political and, rather touchingly, personal.
It's all stirred with a great, big wooden spoon. And, as usual, Uys has
his audience eating out of his hands.
So why, then, the audience heckling on opening night?
That wasn't directed at Uys - the later standing ovation was, though -
but rather at Durban's most controversial citizen, Dr Mike Sutcliffe, city
manager, who bravely accepted an invitation from the elegant Evita Bezuidenhout,
Uys's most famous alter-ego, to chat on stage.
A rigid Sutcliffe valiantly, some would say foolishly, tried to beat
Evitab at her own game.
But his wisecracks were sad yips alongside the snaps-with-a-smile (many
would have preferred a more rabid growl) from the mighty Tannie E - especially
when it came to the controversial topic of road names, met with loud boos.
Referring to odd choices for Durban roads including Che Guevera - "that
shouldn't be a road, that should be a cul-de-sac" - Evita declared she'd
be happy to allow her name to grace one of our roads. Or rather, she added,
a whole highway; one festooned with flashing blue lights...
The guest spot is apparently to be filled by a different local
personality each evening and makes for a wonderful surprise in the show's second
half,
which Uys devotes entirely to Evita.
On opening night, she discussed a wide range of subjects, her cues
coming, as usual, from audience members and their questions, jotted down on
paper
left in a bucket on stage during interval.
As Evita, Uys is in his element - feeding on the unexpected, quick with
wit and wisdom, drawing most humour from nudge-winks at audience members of
other
nationalities.
"When our people started heading for your country," he told an Aussie
in
the audience, " the IQs of both our countries soared dramatically".
The production's first half, as is customary with Uys shows, features him
donning outfits to become various characters and, in a poignant,
reflective moment, as himself, recounting stolen moments of romance in a small
garden shed in the 60s, when he discovered apartheid was not for him.
First up are Hillary and Bill Clinton, then Karen van Zyl, a Brakpan
woman who was hired in the US to double as Sarah Palin, but who has now landed
up
with a job scooping First Puppy poop at the White House.
With a Huisgenoot in one hand and packet of doggy-do in the other, she
touches on everything from Steve Hofmeyr and the recent Joost van der Westhuizen
scandal, to American pronounciations.
Also memorable is Uys's Mrs Peterson, a coloured woman who runs a junk
store and who battles to make a choice for the upcoming elections with all the
literature handed to her.
Not to forget whining kugel Noelle Fine, who has become such a fixture at
Home Affairs, where she's been trying to get a passport for yonks, that she's
on first-name terms with staff.
We also get a delightful exchange between PW ("Long my bread and
Botha",
says Uys) and Thabo Mbeki, depicted as a puppet. Neither of them, a
skew-mouthed Botha maintains, has a legacy to stand on.
Also featured is SA President Kgalema Motlanthe - although his is a short
performance, as "he's only an interim act" - while Jacob Zuma ends the
first half, appearing as a dummy in animal skins, with a shower attached to his
back.
He constantly refers to Uys as Mr Schuster.
"I like to call him by his Zulu name, Innocent," Evita says of Zuma
later.
Played out against a drop of 30 election posters and a blow-up of Evita
with a cactus, Elections & Erections sees Uys at the peak of his game. Don't
miss him!
Published on the web by Tonight on February 20, 2009.
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© Tonight 2009. All rights reserved.
