Trevor Noah drives the nation wild
His new project NationWild will showcase 13 of South Africa’s youngest, funniest comedians, writes Bianca Coleman
TREVOR NOAH’s The Daily Show was one of the nominees in the Best Variety Talk Series category.
He previously won for his YouTube comedy special, The Daily Show: Between the Scenes (Best Short Form Variety Series), which airs on Comedy Central on DStv, like The Daily Show. On Monday, Showmax launches Trevor Noah Presents NationWild,a
13-part, 23-minute comedy showcase, where each episode features one of South Africa’s youngest, funniest comedians – as picked by Noah. Each episode features Noah as MC, an interview with the featured comedian about their ladder to success, and then that comedian’s set.
“In each episode, we’re going to meet some of the brightest emerging comedians in Mzansi,” says Noah.
“Trevor Noah’s global success proves that SA’s comics are among the best in the world,” says Candice Fangueiro, head of content at Showmax.
“We’ve worked hard to make Showmax the home of South African comedy, so we’re delighted to add
Trevor Noah Presents NationWild to our line-up of hilarious shows, which includes The Roast of Somizi and comedy specials with the likes of 2018 Comics Choice Comedy award winner David Kau and nominees like Marc Lottering and Mpho Popps.” Representing Cape Town in
NationWild are Phil de Lange and Keenan Cerff. It’s a huge break for both of them, considering Noah’s already given fellow SA comedians like David Kibuuka and Loyiso Madinga regular work on The Daily Show.
De Lange has been doing comedy for five years, but what is funny about the ukulele which he uses in his act? “The thing is, I don’t find it funny. I take it very seriously,” he says. “But everyone else thinks it’s a comical instrument. It’s cute, man.”
Of being chosen for NationWild, De Lange says comedy in South Africa is a relatively small industry, where everyone knows everyone and reputations are built.
“People see you perform and then the right people give you the right opportunities at the right time. Up until this point I actually didn’t realise how big it is… billboards, TV adverts… it’s been a little bit overwhelming. It’s probably the biggest thing that’s happened to me in my career and in my life,” he says.
Until the billboards – or “Philboards” – De Lange says he’d normally be quite humble but now he’ll toot his own horn.
“I think my comedy is quite smart, pretty sarcastic, relatively self-effacing, quite self-deprecating, a blend of parody songs, rap music and also quite a bit of observational comedy and one or two impressions.
“I try to include as much of my personal politics and comedy as possible, so it’s quite socially aware.” Keenan Cerff’s from the Cape Flats. “Yes, I met Trevor – just having him there and for myself just being there… I’m from Lavender Hill and have an uncle at home and cousins and friends who are on drugs, and I didn’t think I’d ever be anywhere like this… That’s just how life is, I guess.”
Cerff says he’s appreciative of it all. “Where I’m from a lot of people don’t dream big because they automatically think like ‘nah, it can’t happen’. And if they do dream big, the gangsterism gets them down, or the family don’t support them or there’s not enough money.”
Describing himself as a shy and awkward person who was goofy with his friends and considered a nerd growing up, Cerff has come a long way from an early performance his parents walked out of (it was that bad).
The Comics Choice Awards will be shown on 1Magic on October 4 at 8.30pm.