The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie
Encyclopedia
The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie is a play
by South Africa
's Paul Slabolepszy
.
Eddie grows up in Modderfontein and is an Elvis Presley
fanatic. He gets married, has kids and finds a job selling underfloor heating. He jokes: In an age of global warming?. He also feels depressed.
The play begins with Elvis standing on a street corner (Union Crescent) in Witbank
where he is reminiscing about his youth. Across the road is the cinema where he used to enjoy Dick Tracey. Many years ago he carved the initials of his first love on the lamp post he is leaning on.
He decides that his life is worthless and decides to commit suicide by gassing himself in his car. While he is waiting for the carbon monoxide to make him unconscious, he turns on the radio only to hear Elvis singing. This cheers him up so he decides to return to the cinema in Union Crescent where apparently Elvis was recently sighted.
While standing underneath the lamp post, waiting for Elvis to arrive, he reflects on his past and some of the funny incidents that shaped it. He also recalls an incident which terrified him and still haunts him.
As he reflects on that incident, he realises that Elvis saved his life then. This inspires him and gives him hope for the future.
The play won more awards in a single year than any other play in the history of South African theatre. It won the 1993 Vita, Fleur du Cap and Dalro Awards including Best New South African Play, Best Actor, Best Production, Best Director – as well as The Star
Tonight IGI Life Vita Award for Comedy. It has been presented – by invitation – in Washington DC and Chicago, USA.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Paul Slabolepszy
Paul Slabolepszy
Paul Slabolepszy , or Paul "Slab", is a South African actor and playwright.-Overview:Slabolepszy was born in Bolton, England. His mother was English and his father was a Polish refugee. The family then emigrated to South Africa....
.
Plot
This is a one-man play where the actor plays a raft of characters.Eddie grows up in Modderfontein and is an Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
fanatic. He gets married, has kids and finds a job selling underfloor heating. He jokes: In an age of global warming?. He also feels depressed.
The play begins with Elvis standing on a street corner (Union Crescent) in Witbank
Witbank
Witbank , also known as eMalahleni is a city situated on the Highveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, within the eMalahleni Local Municipality. The name Witbank is Afrikaans for White Ridge and is named after a white sandstone outcrop where wagon transport drivers rested...
where he is reminiscing about his youth. Across the road is the cinema where he used to enjoy Dick Tracey. Many years ago he carved the initials of his first love on the lamp post he is leaning on.
He decides that his life is worthless and decides to commit suicide by gassing himself in his car. While he is waiting for the carbon monoxide to make him unconscious, he turns on the radio only to hear Elvis singing. This cheers him up so he decides to return to the cinema in Union Crescent where apparently Elvis was recently sighted.
While standing underneath the lamp post, waiting for Elvis to arrive, he reflects on his past and some of the funny incidents that shaped it. He also recalls an incident which terrified him and still haunts him.
As he reflects on that incident, he realises that Elvis saved his life then. This inspires him and gives him hope for the future.
Performances
The first performance was in 1992.The play won more awards in a single year than any other play in the history of South African theatre. It won the 1993 Vita, Fleur du Cap and Dalro Awards including Best New South African Play, Best Actor, Best Production, Best Director – as well as The Star
The Star (South Africa)
The Star is a daily newspaper based in Gauteng, South Africa. It has a readership of 840 000 and is owned by Independent News & Media. It gained worldwide attention in 2006 when it published survey results according to which about twenty percent of South African men have raped a woman in...
Tonight IGI Life Vita Award for Comedy. It has been presented – by invitation – in Washington DC and Chicago, USA.
Books
- Mooi Street and Other Moves, by Paul Slabolepszy, Robert Greig (Introduction), Wits University Press, 1994, ISBN 1-86-814243-4. Includes The Return of Elvis Du Pisanie