Uys pokes fun at politicians in ‘Lockup/Lockdown’

PIETER-Dirk Uys finally weighs in on South Africa’s national state of disaster in his new satirical show Lockup/Lockdown, which starts today, October 19.

Uys, the man behind the most famous white woman in South Africa, Evita Bezuidenhout, makes a return to the stage featuring some of his favourite personalities such as Nowell Fine, Willie Wikkelspies and Boris Johnson.

In the show, he walks the audience through headlines such as “Another Zuma eyes your dop and zol!”, “Boris Johnson makes the rules, and breaks them”, and “Evita Bezuidenhout preCovid, and post level 3”.

Elaborating on the inspiration behind the show, Uys says: “Over four days having the experience of seeing one’s working life fizzle up behind a mask.

“It started on Friday, March 13, and within three hours on that day, four months of performances in Cape Town, Johannesburg and London were cancelled, followed by the shows at Evita se Perron.

“I also realised that everyone has a story to share. While we were all in the same lockdown boat, everyone’s experience was unique. Some are better than others, most unforgettable.

“And because it’s not yet over, I felt it was a good moment to use humour to bring a laugh to our fears.”

After several months of virtual shows, Uys says he is delighted to be back on stage.

“After nearly 19 months of lockdown, the excitement of being with a live audience was a great encouragement to make sure that the show will go on. And here we are.

“I’m also looking forward to sharing the new characters with my audience. Lockdown has given me so many new scriptwriters and so it was essential to have a go at Mrs Zuma, William Shakespeare, Boris Johnson and David Attenborough,” said Uys.

“Laughing at fear can make that fear less fearful, and that is something we all share. There are also some really silly moments in the show – making fun of political correctness and having a wink at woke.”

Reflecting on the past year and a half, Uys says he had to learn a few tricks to survive at the height of the pandemic, particularly when he found himself without work, something he had not experienced in the past four decades.

“It was important for me not to allow myself to slide into a state of catatonia. I made sure that once a week I would go through the texts of the 10 shows I have in my repertoire. That has been a very good example of mental aerobics.

“I also read three books a week! I discovered the garden, the trees, the cat and the dog. Usually, in my old life, I would be busy 24/7.”

During this time, Uys says, he advised colleagues and theatre friends to keep a diary, suggesting: “Write your feelings into a script. Create your one-person show. Be ready to earn your pension when the new normal re-emerges.”

“Frankly, I don’t think it will be ‘new’ or ‘normal’ … We will probably have to live with a future Covid-reality as we have with the last 28 years of the ANC as government!”

Asked about Tannie Evita’s lockdown hacks, Uys laughs: “Tannie Evita had a difficult time during her first few months of lockdown. She couldn’t get to the hairdresser! So eventually she saw that ‘every brown cloud had a silver lining’, She took her scissors and went to work.

“Now her son says she looks like Helen Mirren. ‘No,’ says Tannie, ‘Helen Mirren now looks like me!’

The show is set to run from Tuesday until Saturday, November 6, at Theatre on the Bay, Cape Town.

Tickets are R200 each (sold in pairs only) through Computicket.com.