ADAPT OR FLY - Market Theatre, Johannesburg

A new production by Pieter-Dirk Uys, Adapt or Fly, is currently showing at the Market Theatre. He is going back to his roots with this new production. In 1981, Pieter-Dirk Uys was on stage at the Market Theatre with Adapt or Dye – his one-man production at that time. Both titles come from his 'scriptwriters', although they have changed dramatically over the years. The 1981 title comes from a speech by P.W. Botha; the 2014 one comes from one by Julius Malema. As he shared with us, things don't really change they simply start to rhyme: from Apartheid to Tripartite, from Amandla to Nkandla.

There have been positive changes though and this is celebrated in the new play: from a slashed orange, blue and white flag as a backdrop to our beloved new South African flag adorned with beautiful beaded badges; from hiding a hint of gold, green and black on stage with every performance (for those sharp enough to catch a glimpse of the banned colours) to colour pouring from every character and syllable in true Pieter-Dirk Uys style. He still keeps all his props in a box though: during the Apartheid days, this made it much easier to pick up and run if he needed to. His economy of stage materials has stuck and we were amazed that he could do so much with so little!

As a special preview to Adapt or Fly, we were incredibly lucky to witness a never-seen-before moment with the well-known entertainer. Pieter-Dirk Uys transformed into his most famous character, Evita Bezhuidenhout, on stage while members of the press were there to witness the transformation. This really was quite amazing to see as he effortlessly transformed into the much-loved Tannie Evita.

The transformation begins...

Pieter-Dirk Uys kept talking during his make-up application
- relating hilarious stories about his life as a performer
during Apartheid and after

Of course, a lady needs well-defined lips

Note Tannie Evita's choice of politically correct colours
- she is now a proud ANC member

And there's the famous wig we all know so well

Transformation complete! Right in front of our eyes

Tannie Evita with her beloved Mr. Zuma

Always Proudly South African

We loved the baby that was found close to Lithuli House and taken in
- he seems to have gone rouge since!

Beyond the intoxicating blend of sharp wit and humour so true it almost hurts to laugh at it, Uys revealed some very insightful observations. At the age of 69, his ability to translate his view into very engaging entertainment is far from lost. He shared that he always aims to entertain his audience. There is certainly a take-home message but above all, he aims for the audience to leave the theatre feeling elated rather than depressed. Mr. Uys has never been more entertaining than in Adapt or Fly. We laughed so hard our sides hurt! This is most certainly a must-see play. It runs until the 26th October at the Market Theatre.