Represent Review: Tshwane Comedy Festival
Kom nou mense – why was the Afrikaans night so poorly attended? Sies! Let’s make it up this week by supporting the last few days of the thoroughly enjoyable Tshwane comedy festival at the State Theatre. “Dankie” to all involved, our writers have had a great lag and are looking pretty toned for it. In our last installation, AmorAmor covers last weeks “Afrikaans night”:
27 June at 20.00 – Afrikaans Night
Host: Joey Rasdien
Featuring: Nicky van Niekerk – Denzel – Pierre Breytenbach – Melt Sieberhagen
28 June at 20.00 – Black Comedy Night
Host: Trevor Noah (pic)
Featuring: Kedibone Muluadzi – Loyiso Gola (pic) – Dave Kibuuka – Kagiso Lediga (pic)
29 June at 20.00 – Hardcore Comedy Night
Host: Mel Miller
Featuring: Kyle Thorpe – Trevor Gumbi – Nqoba Ngcobo – Malcolm Ferreira
30 June at 20.00 – Comedy Showcase Night
Host: Tshepo Mogale
Featuring: Mike – Magic Man – Roni Modimola – Mel Miller
Tickets: R70 throughout
The Pretoria/Tshwane Comedy Festival should be something of a landmark on our cultural calendar but, having spoken to few people, it seems to have gone by almost unnoticed. At least that would account for the poor turn out at Saturday night’s Afrikaans night. Have to tell you people, it was a shame you missed it.
Now I am not an Afrikaans fanatic but I do believe that it is a lyrical and beautiful language and a proud part of our South African heritage that should be preserved. The beauty and emotion of Afrikaans is best appreciated in its poetry but just as emotive is its application in swearing. Yep, swearing. There are just some things that are so much better in Afrikaans. And, yes, the boys put the full lyrical power to good use.
To quote our engaging host, Hannes Brummer, “Daar gaan waarskynlik vanaand gebruik gemaak word van ‘n bietjie kras taal, so as dit julle pla, Fokof maar nou.” God bless Afrikaans.
The line-up included Nicky van Niekerk, a ‘ware boer-seun’, with his assortment of ‘my scary wife’ and oom Piet stories, Denzel Edgar, our colored homeboy with his astute observations of colored culture, the unlisted but immensely charming and funny Pierre Breytenbach and Melt Sieberhagen, who I would definitely recommend you invite over for a beer if you need cheering up.
The boys had their work cut out for them as the small audience seemed a little shy to laugh too loud (myself and my companion obviously excluded from this) but they were consummate professionals and immensely entertaining, which is after all the whole point of such an event. I must admit I am a bit biased as the boys won major brownie points with me when they started ragging Afrikaans music but beyond that it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening sharing the gift of laughing at ourselves with like-minded people.
One of the saving graces of our country and its people, in my opinion, is our ability to laugh at and make fun of ourselves. The need to encourage and support Afrikaans art in all its forms aside, I would definitely recommend we all get out there and support South African comedy in all languages. It will do you, our local talent and the country a fokken lot of good.
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More updates from the comedy – it’s Alfie on the mic:
Well on Friday evening I took my chubby self to the State Theatre, a place I haven’t been to for over a decade, funny enough it was jam packed with no parking left at all.
The Afrikaans speaking people were going to watch the Afrikaans version of “THE CAVEMEN” and all the Darkies were there for the comedy show. The show started 15min late… perhaps to be expected as the “black comedy night” title stirred the pot: Black people & African time 🙂
The evening was hosted by what I believe is the funniest host in the country & I believe he is under rated, his name is EUGENE KHOZA, the guy had everyone in such stiches that when he came back to introduce the next comedian the crowd just started laughing without him saying a word.
Everyone as far as I’m concerned was really good & the lady comedians were brilliant -unique & not too shy at all. The first comedian was Sifiso from Durban, then Tumi Morake, Kedibone & Judy closed the evening.
It was 2hrs worth spending on a friday evening & already half an hour into the show I was thinking of asking my editor to get me more tickets so that I can come back for more.
I’d suggest if you haven’t been to get moving… OH AND NB: Avoid the front row & walking in late cause those comedian will rip you apart 🙂
Sharpile!!!
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Sounds like we’ve got it all wrong and we should be going to comedy not the gym. In our second review of the festival, our newest Representah “UrHighness” tells us all about the “Hardcore night” the festival conitues through next week to the 30th so make sure to catch it. Website here. *Editorista bows and welcomes Urhighness*
For a night that included comedians Kyle Thorpe, Chris Forest, Loyiso Gola ,Trevor Gumpi, Trevor Noah as well as the crazy, weird and funny M.C for the night Martin from London -‘hardcore’ was an understatement.
The M.C managed to work on our stomach muscles even before the acts went
on stage just through his interaction with the crowd – I might add the audience
were very good sports considering how much fun was made of them.
The first act was Kyle whom I just found too much for my funny bone – he ripped it apart. Then there was everybody’s favourites Chris Forest and Loyiso Gola –
with a beer in hand…need i say more. I must thank Loyiso for his discovery that if black people stop feeding their dogs inside wheel caps this will stop their dogs chasing cars all day long.
The newest acts to the crazy South African bunch were the two Trevors (Gumpi and Noah) these two “gentlemen” really took the word hardcore to a level that caused even a dark skinned girl like me to blush. The man of the night had to be Trevor Noah it was my first time seeing him on stage and I was a bit sceptical at first but ja this boy is beyond perverted humour,he was a “real save the best for last” he won himself a fan and tons of others on the night.
The hardcore night was worth every muscle pulled with these guys. S.A comedy is really shooting to new heights.
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The Matrix skipped gym for a bit of an ab session at the opening night of the Tshwane Comedy Festival at the State Theatre. He loved it and urges you to go and have a good workout. Laughter is after all the best medicine. We’ll be covering a few more nights of the comedy so watch this space. Click here for info on the festival. We give you the Matrix.
Can Tshwane (Pretoria) really be the late blooming addition to Mzansi`s cultural heartland that is Gauteng? I’ll let you be the judge on that not-so-easy to answer question. But I can assure you that it will be very difficult for any individual to utter anything to the contrary after sitting in on the giggles-galore opening night of some of the Republic’s finest stand up comedy.
Granted most if not all of the great talent domiciles in Jozi, but a majority of the near capacity audience were unquestionably residents of “Oom Paul se omgeewing”: Pretoria (Tshwane). The star studded line-up included big time “Pure Monate Show” Comedian actors like: Roni “Side Pocket” Madimola and Chris “Cooler-box” Forrest, with other impressive appearances of equal calibre by: Magic Man [a freshly surprising and truly funny bloke!], Ms Tumi Morake [sensually outrageous indeed!] and Hannes Brummer [The new age General De La Rey – “Oom Paul must have been turning in his grave”!!].
Being such a big sucker for stand-up comedy, I found myself in an low-resistance abs building exercise, albeit hard-hitting at times as S.A`s comic crème de la crème tickled us with back to back, laugh-out-loud, tail-spun jokes like: “Please do not do crime, government officials do not like stiff competition” and “ Mango airlines can’t control such a simple thing as a forever crashing website, no wonder why they resorted to jump starting one of their airplanes with an Opel Corsa!” The latter joke got the audience in a hooligan type uproar!
Please, Please and Please again (and I’m not being pragmatically or unreasonably slanted & biased, although admittedly – all courtesy was extended to me and my entourage), but I beg of you, do yourself and your buddies a favor – check at least one gig of the Comedy Festival out! It will definitely be a whole lot worth more than the meagre seventy bucks admission fee charged. I guaran-damn-tee that you’ll laugh your wits off more than 90% of the time. Mafra!
P.S: Those who would like to get involved in the production and flighting of stage plays or similar gigs (live performances and such) are invited to contact the State Theater’s 52 seasons performing arts development division on (012) 392-4274 – Ms Ntsuxeko Baloyi. As Magic Man eloquently put it: “Whatever turns you on, do not fight it!”
PUBLIC SERVICE ANOUNCEMENT
Watch out for the Pure Monate DVD to be launched mid to end July and Chris “Cooler-box” Forrest’s new album also due for release in the coming months.
Reuben-the Matrix-Malema
