Now jokes on them – for sure
For Luphelo Kodwa, comedy started as a defence mechanism against boys his age who used to tease him about his tiny body.
“I was an easy target for them. I had big teeth and feet when I was a little boy, something boys of my age used to tease me about,” he said.
Tired of being made fun of, Kodwa developed a mechanism to hit back.
The Ndevana-born comedian said that is how his comedy started.
“I would be teased all the time and I got tired of feeling sorry for myself, and I started to respond – also making jokes about those who were making fun of me,” he said.
Kodwa said comedy was something he grew up doing, but when he decided to follow it as a career, “it was not really about making fun of other people, but say stuff that would make people laugh. My comedy is clean and relevant to all age groups”.
Like any professional, Kodwa prepares for the set, but depending on the mood of the audience, “you end up making jokes about something else”, he said.
He said, it was five years ago when he decided to take comedy seriously, “and since then I never looked back”.
Kodwa has shared the stage with almost all the well-known comedians in the country.
“I have performed with most of the comedians in South Africa, the like of Kagiso Madinga, Skhumba Hlophe, Loyiso Gola and many more,” he said.
He said his jokes were about village life, “where I come from and how we as young black boys were raised, but I also mix with everyday life experiences.”
Kodwa said he will mix his new and old material during his performance.
“Even with old material I have a way of making it sound new, it is only afterwards one who remember that they heard the joke before,” he said.
His comedy was growing well in the province, “and the support is always overwhelming”, he said.
The 26-year-old comedian will be performing during the eMonti Heritage Comedy Night at the Guild Theatre on Sunday.
What is more enthralling for him is the fact he will be sharing the stage with Trevor Gumbi, Khanyisa Bunu, Mbulelo Msongelwa and Liyabona Nqaba.