The Lunch Break

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Topic: Arts and Entertainment Guest: Pieter Dirk Uys Contact: To Be Podcasted: Yes For more than five decades, Pieter Dirk Uys has challenged apartheid, championed a unified South Africa, has performed over 7000 times on stage, and, played an impressive-wide-variety of characters – of which, one particularly stands out … that of “the most famous white woman in South Africa” – Evita Bezuidenhout. Well, skip to present-day, Evita is 90 – and Pieter recently turned 80! And the innings is far from over. Pieter returns to theatre in the Cape this month, to perform not one, but FOUR productions. Let’s find out more now from Pieter Dirk Uys Welcome A bit on your journey before we talk about what’s happening this week in Cape Town. You had studied from Cape to London in the 70s and done an array of theatrical productions until off-course, Pieter-Dirk Uys walked onto a stage in 1981 dressed as an Afrikaans woman. It all changed from there? How did Evita become the phenomenon that she is today Late last year, The Artscape Theatre and the Suidoosterfees honored you with a double bill of your plays. To be recognised and celebrated by your own industry (an industry in which you played a pivotal-shaping-role). How was that for you? And now you’re back there with a total of four productions. Evita @ 90, In The Echo of a Noise, Bambi in Cabaret and Tee, Tales & Trouens. Talk us through the line up They say, “satire is a potent political weapon” … how did you use this weapon and make it work for the South African audiences And on the note of making things work – Evita remains prominently in the spotlight in this age of Artificial Intelligence ... how is she keeping up with the times? It’s Freedom Month so I can’t help ask you this. You had impersonated Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu with a gentle irreverence that made him laugh out aloud. That moment must have been iconic for you … please describe that moment Pieter Dirk Uys, as always, a delight chatting to you. Thank you for being on the show this afternoon - 30 April 2026

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