BOOK REVIEW: Pieter-Dirk removes the mask for tender and funny memoir
The performer stares into the dressing room mirror after the show, the applause now a memory as the chatter of theatre patrons makes its way out of the lobby. He removes his stage makeup with a sponge, methodically revealing strips of skin beneath the mask of his character. It is a deeply personal moment, the man behind the mask revealing himself to himself, and then to the world. A book can have the same effect. In Pieter-Dirk Uys: The Echo of a Noise: A Memoir of Then and Now, Uys draws us into his unmasking, revealing the man behind the persona, and the person behind the man, the little boy who just wanted to wear long pants. Uys pulls off a story-telling coup. He delicately takes us on a first-person journey that starts in his early childhood with a nonjudgmental innocence that suspends belief. We read his words as if they are really those of a small boy experiencing the world for the first time, despite the well-crafted storytelling of an acclaimed writer and performer. The rea...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.