Galleries & Reviews
Brighton Festival 2003
Festival Events:
A Midsummer Night's Dream | Bright FX : Ignite | Foreign Aids | Show Your Hands | Streets of Brighton | The Chinese State Circus | The Depot : Drive-in Gallery | The James Taylor Quartet | The Ladyboys of Bangkok
Pieter Dirk Uys - Foreign AIDS
For the last few years of his life, Pieter Dirk Uys, (aka Evita Bezuidenhout, Bambi Kellerman, Dr Thamboo MacBeki, etc.) has been going around schools in South Africa to talk to the kids and young adults about the seriousness of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa. This is all done without any government AIDS funding or corporate sponsorship. The youth love him because he is hilariously funny and they can ask him frank questions without feeling awkward, and know that they’d get a straight, honest answer. And while unimpressed parents and a negligent government in denial try to shut him up, he is arming South Africa's children with condoms and knowledge and is saving countless lives.
This is what Foreign Aids is all about. Making people aware of the pandemic, sharing stories of how out of hand it is getting, and pointing out who are not doing what they should be to tackle the silent enemy. Performed with comical brilliance, the show is an emotional roller coaster ride between laughter at the quirky dialogue and presentation, and lump-in-the-throat-sadness when you realise what is actually being said. It points out how bleak the outlook for millions upon millions of people will be, (in SA and worldwide) unless drastic action is taken immediately.
Though extremely entertaining, Pieter Dirk Uys’ message is clear – we have one common enemy – AIDS – and we need to seriously start considering what we plan to do about it.
For more information about Evita and upcoming gigs, visit Evita and Co in ZA.
~ Review written by Pieter Meiring. Photos by Olivia Meiring.
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