Hallo, Is Bettie Wat Praat

Die Bloemhof-sentrum is vol. Is ’n mixed gehoo, hie’s silver foxes, pappe babies en ’n paa famous social media influencers. Ammel love vi Bettie. Die bywoning van hierdie produksie issie beste wat ek nog by vanjaa se Woordfees gesiennit.

Ôs is gaste in Bettie (Dean John Smith) se hys. Sy is vol energie en jokes. Bettie se humor is in die twist van ’n frase, verkeere ytspraak van woorde mee as drie syllables en haa eindelose misunderstandings.

Wat ek veral van Smith se performance geniet, is dat Bettie doodernstig is, sy speel nie haa humor in nie. Maakie saak hoe simpel die dinge is wat sy sê nie, Betty glo 100% wat sy sê en Dean speel it net straight. Omdat hy nie try om snaaks te wiessie, maakie sincerity van sy optrede alles soeveel snaakser.

Die teks is briljant. Bettie se anecdotes is perfekte komedie, selfs haa jokes se set-ups is snaaks, en dan gooi sy nie een, maa multiple punchlines wat mens harde en harde lat ytbas vannie lag. Daa issie een flou joke in hierdie stuk nie, elke een van Bettie se jokes land.

Dean doen ’n bietjie audience work. Die stel het werkende appliances. Bettie maak vi iemand innie front row ’n regte koppie tee en roep hulle om haa innie kombys te join. Gehoodeelname kan soms cringe wies, maa oek hier is Dean in totale beheer. Die lag hier kommie vannie awkwardness van ’n nervous audience member nie. Selfs die seemingly impromptu “bit” is ytgedink, goed geskryf en vol snaakse verrassings.

Bettie issie ’n plat karakte nie. Innie laaste act vannie show shift die tone, maa it issie ’n jarring verskywing nie. Dean is ’n expert daarvan ommie energie wat hy mettie gehoo opgewhip’it, stadig en baie delicately af te bring en ôs in diepe drama te wortel.

Hie vind ôs yt wie Bettie rêrag is. Sy’s eintlik bietjie van ’n tragiese karakter. Sy’s eensaam. Die finale beeld vannie vertoning gaan saam my vi ’n lank tyd bly. Ek issie die ienagste een wat daavoo gehyl hettie. It is pragtig, hartseer en it is herkenbaar. Ôs wou ammel net opstaan ??en vi Bettie ’n hug gie en vi haa sê Bettie ôs sien jou, ôs hoo jou.

Dean se range is ongelooflik, hy’t my binne ’n uur hardop laat lag en hyl. Bespreek jou kaartjies voo it te laat is.

The Bloemhof center is full. Is a mixed crowd, there are silver foxes, pappe babies and a few famous social media influencers. Ammel love you Bettie. The attendance at this production is the best I have seen at this year’s Woordfees.

They are guests in Bettie’s (Dean John Smith) loft. She is full of energy and jokes. Bettie’s humor is in the twist of a phrase, the correct pronunciation of words with more than three syllables and endless misunderstandings.

What I especially enjoy about Smith’s performance is that Bettie is dead serious, she doesn’t play her humor. No matter how silly the things she says are, Betty 100% believes what she says and Dean just plays it straight. Because he doesn’t try to be funny, the sincerity of his actions makes everything that much funnier.

The text is brilliant. Bettie’s anecdotes are perfect comedy, even her jokes’ set-ups are funny, and then she throws not one, but multiple punchlines that make you laugh out loud. There is not one weak joke in this piece, every one of Bettie’s jokes lands.

Dean does a little audience work. The set has working appliances. Bettie makes a real cup of tea for someone in front of them and calls them to join her in the van. Character participation can sometimes be cringe-worthy, but here Dean is in total control. The laughter here does not come from the awkwardness of a nervous audience member. Even the seemingly impromptu “bit” is well thought out, well written and full of funny surprises.

Bettie is not a flat character. In the last act of the show, the tone shifts, but it is a jarring shift. Dean is an expert at slowly and very delicately bringing down the energy that he whips up and rooting it in deep drama.

He finds out who Bettie really is. She’s actually a bit of a tragic character. She’s lonely. The final image of the show will stay with me for a long time. I’m the only one who cried about it. It’s beautiful, sad and it’s relatable. Ammel just wanted to get up and gave Bettie a hug and she said Bettie ôs see you, ôs hoo you.

Dean’s grades are incredible, he made me laugh out loud and cry within an hour. Book your tickets before it’s too late.