If there is one thing South Africans are world-class at, it is navigating a crisis. Usually, that involves a “scheduled” power cut or dodging a pothole that has its own postal code, but for Eddie du Pisanie, it is a mid-life retrenchment on the East Rand. We have all been there – maybe not sitting in a car in Benoni wondering where it all went wrong – but certainly questioning if life is just one long, poorly-timed joke that we are not quite in on yet.
Paul Slabolepszy’s classic play, The Return of Elvis du Pisanie, is back at Theatre on the Square in Sandton, and it is the kind of local storytelling that reminds us why we actually enjoy being South African despite the chaos. Ashley Dowds takes on the role of Eddie, a salesman who thinks he has hit a dead end until an Elvis Presley song on the radio triggers a childhood memory that changes his entire trajectory. It is a story about destiny, nostalgia, and the slightly terrifying realisation that your life can pivot on a single three-minute track from The King of Rock and Roll.
This revival is a sharp reminder that you do not need a massive budget or over-the-top special effects to tell a story that stays with you. You just need a script that hits home and an actor who can genuinely hold a room. It is funny, tender, and deeply relatable for anyone who has ever felt like they are just another line on a spreadsheet or a face in the corporate crowd.
The production runs from 14 April to 3 May. If you are tired of scrolling through fake news and AI-generated nonsense, go sit in a dark room and watch a professional do their thing on stage. It is better for your mental health than another hour on social media. Tickets are on Webtickets now. Go support local theatre before Eddie decides to switch the radio off for good. It is the sort of unbridled joy we all need right now.
Performances will take place nightly from 14th April until 3rd May – from Tuesdays to Fridays at 7.30 pm, at 5 pm and 8 pm on Saturdays and on Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets are available via Webtickets or through the theatre’s box office, Tel 011 883-8606 or 083 377496.
VENUE: Theatre on the Square, Sandton
INFO: www.theatreonthesquare.co.za
TICKET PRICE: R200 (normal) / R180 (students and pensioners)
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