The Return of Elvis du Pisanie
A solo performance at Theatre on the Square sees Elvis du Pisanie, a retrenched salesman, confront trauma and rediscover his will to survive.
A powerful one-man play, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie, staged at Theatre on the Square, treats Johannesburg audiences with a live experience of survival and self-discovery brought to life by Ashley Dowds.
Read more: Theatre on the Square stages solo play, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie
Written and directed by acclaimed South African playwright Paul Slabolepszy, the play follows Elvis du Pisanie, a 49-year-old East Rand salesman whose life begins to collapse after he is retrenched.
Stripped of routine and purpose, Elvis finds himself drifting into despair while sitting alone in his car. Alone in his car and on the brink of despair, a song by Elvis Presley triggers lots of memories, taking him back to a childhood moment that shaped his life in ways he has long avoided confronting.
Speaking about the play, Dowd said, “This story is a challenge for him as it is a solo show and he has to transform into many different characters.
“Paul Slabolepszy is one of my favourite South African playwrights, and he’s always been a presence in my life. Actually, there are so many pieces of work of his that I’ve adored.
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“This particular story is the real challenge for an actor because it’s a solo show, and you have to embody so many different characters. But it’s also a joy to play because, you know, you have to visualise where he journeys and who these people he meets are.”
He added that the play is living with the trauma without dealing with it. “Particularly as a man, I think it’s quite significant, because masculinity often says that you shouldn’t cry. You shouldn’t talk about something. And in a way, it’s stunted Elvis du Pisanie.
“And Elvis gets to a point where he cannot proceed any further. And he decides, well, that’s it. I’m going to take myself out of this. Then he gets into his car and plays the song, The Elvis Presley. In this moment, he starts to remember all these things going on in his life, and he confronts them, and that saves him.”
Dowds called on theatre lovers to come and get a live experience of the show. “Live theatre is always so much more present than watching something that’s recorded. Come and take on this joyride in a way, because at the end it’s going to be a happy ending for Elvis.”
The play will be staged at Theatre on the Square from Wednesdays to Sundays until May 4.
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