BWW Reviews: Uys Entertains in Bambi's New 50 SHADES Show

Pieter-Dirk Uys is something of a national treasure. While he may be best known for his alter-ego, Evita Bezuidhenhout, he is also a prolific playwright, a social activist and the nurturer of several other alter egos, including Noelle Fine and, of course, the star of 50 SHADES OF BAMBI, Bambi Kellermann. Bambi is Evita's younger sister, a blonde Afrikaans girl from the Free State who went over to Europe to become a stripper, married a Nazi, had encounters with the likes of Marlene Dietrich and Ava Gardner and eventually returned to post-apartheid South Africa. Back home, she speaks out about HIV and AIDS education, being an HIV-positive woman herself. All of this is detailed in Bambi's autobiography, NEVER TOO NAKED: A THRILLING TALE OF LOVE, LUST, LOSS AND LIFE. 50 SHADES OF BAMBI is a reflection of a life well lived for the crude and forthright Bambi as she looks back on her life as well as at some of our current social and political trends in her own special way.

Accompanied by Godfrey Johnson at the piano, with Johnson also delivering some of the vocals, Bambi tells us some of the stories from her past, with songs like Stephen Sondheim's "Children Will Listen" and "I'm Still Here", Cole Porter's "You Do Something to Me" and the Kurt Weill-Ira Gershwin standard, "The Saga of Jenny" punctuating her anecdotes. Some of the songs have re-tooled lyrics tailored either to the unique situations in which Bambi has found herself (as in the Porter number) or to offer commentary on South African politics (such as when Zuma subs for the too decisive Jenny of LADY IN THE DARK fame.) There is also the obligatory nod to 50 SHADES OF GREY, which inspired the title of this cabaret, which is suggested not only in the copy of the novel that decorates the piano, but also in the array of sex toys hanging from line that extends across the stage. Dotted in between these are some real toys, which Bambi says show her love for children.

As Bambi, Uys tempers the character's crude sarcasm with a personable and intimate relationship with the audience. Even when Bambi dishes out comments to the audience, there is no fear of victimisation as there is in less sophisticated drag shows. It helps, of course, that Bambi has such a complex history. Although the audience can all see Uys's eyes twinkling behind his adopted persona, Bambi comes across as though she is a real person, fully-fleshed out and never falling into the dangerous traps of stereotype and caricature.

While 50 SHADES OF BAMBI has some fantastic high points, the show is perhaps not quite as good as Bambi is. The structure of the show is a little vague and could be sharpened by clarifying the ideas that hold the show together, which would substantially enrich the themes that Uys explores through Bambi on stage. This would transform 50 SHADES OF BAMBI from a very entertaining and comfortable show into a spellbinding and unforgettable one, one that could perhaps be the ultimate Bambi show.

50 SHADES OF BAMBI reminded me of Bea Arthur's JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS and Elaine Stritch's AT LIBERTY, two great shows in which two grande dames of the theatre reflected on their trials and tribulations as well as their luminous achievements. While FIFTY SHADES OF BAMBI is not perhaps as tightly constructed as those shows, Bambi holds as much appeal as Arthur and Stritch did in their respective shows. A colourful raconteur, Bambi has held court Uys's shows for enough time to deserve a definitive retrospective show of her own. The world premiere run of 50 SHADES OF BAMBI almost gets her one and with a little refinement, 50 SHADES OF BAMBI might yet be it.

50 SHADES OF BAMBI runs at The Fugard Theatre until 24 August 2013. Tickets can be booked at Computicket.

Photo Credit: Allison Foat

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