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Live from Boerassic Park

REVIEW OF LIVE FROM BOERASSIC PARK IN EAST LONDON  —  FEBRUARY 1998

Satirical look at the state of the nation

LIVE FROM BOERASSIC PARK, at the Guild Theatre

– Ines Watson, Daily Dispatch, 19 February 1998

ALL THOSE pessimists out there who thought Pieter-Dirk Uys would run out of material when the golden dawn of the New South Africa finally arrived, should think again.

With Boerassic Park — and the previous Truth Omissions — he proves that there is a treasure trove of satire to be found at the end of this nation's rainbow.

And we needn't fear that we will never see those old favourites again — the wagging finger and rubber lips of PW Botha ("the sex slave of Graaff Reinet") reappears, as does that Grand Old Man, Nelson Mandela.

But there are some new faces too. The 1998 matric schoolboy who is trying to keep up with the continually rewritten history syllabus; dedicated nurse Beryl Frick who finds her experience useless due to her lack of toyi toying skills.

Moods of darkness and light alternate through the show for though Uys, the man, appeals to us to celebrate our new democracy and give it time to grow — his characters reveal the dark underbelly that makes us uneasy.

"Our democracy is like a three-year-old child that is full of joy, rolling and crawling around. Yet it still poops in its pants and breaks valuable things — without meaning to, of course. And although it's only three, we expect it to build a million houses, cure a million people, educate a million children — now, now NOW."

But Jo'burg kugel, Nowell Fine isn't quite so understanding — especially after being made to queue up for her bonding trip to Robben Island.

"I mean, if it was so terrible how come everyone survived?" she whines. "It's not like Auschwitz, everyone was too busy writing books and getting degrees to make a list — never mind Schindler's List."

In between guest appearances by this curious collection, Uys reminisces about his childhood, growing up in Cape Town as part of a happy Afrikaans, Calvinist family who went to church on Sundays and thought Verwoerd really must have meant well.

Post-interval, a rapturous welcome greeted the appearance of SA's first lady, Evita Bezuidenhout, who graciously gave her own opinions on the state of the nation, and of our own dear benighted province.

Be warned that Evita will be playing a strong role in next year's general election and really does have some good ideas.

The death penalty? Rather show prisoners endless tapes of Felicia and after a week they'll hang themselves.

As Uys says at the end of the show: "Remember the future of South Africa is certain, it's just the past that is unpredictable."

One thing we can be sure of, though, is that with Pieter-Dirk Uys around we can be sure of being sharply but kindly reminded of exactly where we come from.

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