Political comedy to be shown in parliament
On Tuesday 14 December, an award-winning political comedy show will be performed inside the Houses of Parliament for the first time. ‘Bussmann’s Holiday: The Worst Date Ever’ exposes the failure of the Ugandan government and the international community to track down and bring to justice the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
Award-winning comedy writer and author Jane Bussmann will perform the show in the Grand Committee Room of Parliament. The show has already received excellent reviews and was nominated for Amnesty International’s Freedom of Expression Award. It has since become a book about the Ugandan war with five star reviews.
Bussmann’s show tells the true story of how Jane, frustrated with interviewing celebrities in Hollywood, found herself in Ugandan on the trail of Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA and subject of an arrest warrant on crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Reuters say it's “so funny you almost feel guilty laughing”, the Times calls it “one of the funniest books I've read in a long while... Pick of the Week”, the Guardian says “it's one of the most passionate, smart, hilarious hours on the Fringe, packed with so many absurd one-liners it's impossible to stop laughing even as your brain buzzes with fury at the story she relates”.
Jane Bussmann said:
“I don't understand why media coverage of Africa has to be so bloody hand-wringingly pious and miserable. This week we've finally had WikiLeaks expose what an utter farce the handling of the LRA has been - and what I saw in Uganda was pure Evelyn Waugh. I'm hoping an evening of halfway decent smut will take the edge off this winter.”
The performance taking place in the Grand Committee Room is being held in association with Amnesty International as part of the organisation’s campaign for International Justice which demands that all victims of serious human rights violations such as crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide are provided with justice, truth and full reparations.
In spite of a joint military operation by the armed forced of Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the LRA continued to commit grievous human rights abuses in 2009, including unlawful killings, and abductions of civilians in the DRC, Central African Republic and Sudan.
The International Criminal Court issued warrants of arrest for Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen (all leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army) in July 2005, yet they remain free, continuing to commit human rights abuses, terrorising civilian communities in the region.
Amnesty International’s Senior Advocacy Officer, Allan Hogarth, said:
“Through its humour, Bussmann’s show urges the international community to take action to ensure the LRA and its leaders are brought to trial, ensuring justice for the victims of the dreadful human rights violations which have occurred in northern Uganda and neighbouring regions.
“Jane’s show also points to the fact that so much more needs to be done to actually arrest Kony and the other three suspects who have been given international arrest warrants.
“Suspected war criminals should simply not be allowed to roam free because of a lack of political will from some governments. Much more pressure should be applied by the international community to ensure that those suspected of committed the worst crimes to humanity are brought to justice.”
Notes to the Editor
Bussmann’s Holiday: Worst Date Ever will be performed in the Grand Committee Room, house of Parliament, Tuesday 14 December.