Satire, art and democracy
ILLOVO – At the Gordon Institute of Business Science campus in Illovo gave a talk titled “No One’s Died Laughing”
The talk covered his views on South African politics, as well as his life work as Evita and other characters of satire, art and activism.
He writes, directs, acts, produces and has performed countless times in the country and abroad.
He was born in Cape Town in 1945, and he has worked closely with the Space and Market Theatres for many years.
“I have the script writers of a lifetime, the ANC,” said the 2011 TMSA Naledi Lifetime Achiever Award winner.
Uys warned that democratically elected governments were using democratically acceptable ways to destroy democracy.
“The Protection of State Information Bill is more sinister than any censor act under the apartheid law, because it encourages self-censorship and that’s the end of democracy.”
His latest work, 50 Shades of Bambi, is currently on at the Auto & General Theatre until 16 March.
“Bring your children because the questions in the car on the way home will be very important for you to answer,” he joked.
When asked to comment about the so-called ‘Trial of the Century’ where Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is facing murder charges, he said, “I’m worried about the media… news being presented as a show… it becomes theatre.”
The 2004 Obie award winner is involved in HIV/Aids awareness education for children.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, a non-profit organisation that provides treatment and research relating to HIV/Aids.
