Up-and-coming comedians
THEY’VE earned a spot among a group of emerging comedians deemed to be Durban’s hottest new acts on the funny scene, and now they are headed for the ultimate challenge at Amsterdam Comedy Club’s Kill or Die showdown.
Durban’s Felicia Pillay, Nabeel Peer and Akhil Maharaj are among a line-up of eight other comedians headed for the “tightest” five minutes of their young careers so far.
Jem Atkins, from On Fire Comedy, explained: “These acts are the most promising of the newest ‘batch’ of young Durban comedians. Most of them have been doing comedy for less than a year, and mostly non-paying open slots and slots at Underground Comedy (Winston pub, every Wednesday). However, they all show promise! Although a little unsure and rough around the edges, they all have gags and they’re all funny.
“All they need is a few more years of stage time to potentially grow into great comedians. The road to becoming a great comedian is long and tough at times, but everyone needs to start somewhere.”
He said Kill or Die is a platform they use to help nurture new talent.
“In fact, the winner of Kill or Die will secure a five-minute open spot for themselves at Crazy Funny (Durban Comedy Festival 2018) this December! That’s at a 500-seater venue at Gateway Hotel.”
Pillay said it is an honour to be performing at Kill or Die.
“When your comedy is noticed by some of the funniest comedians in the industry it gives you a form of validation that you are growing as an individual on the comedy circuit. I feel blessed and thankful for the opportunity. When I was asked, I literally pulled a ‘Tom Cruise’ and jumped on my bed. I have a strong bed.”
Pillay stumbled into comedy by chance. “A friend of mine put me on a line-up and said he’s not taking no for an answer, and here I am. I am so grateful that he saw something in me,” she said.
Commenting on her first time on stage doing stand-up, she said: “My first time on stage was six months ago, at the Maharani. The nerves are intense. You keep thinking, ‘Can I do this?’ I was pacing around. You feel so many emotions at once. You’re excited, you feel a rush of pure adrenalin, and your pulse is racing. You’re also terrified and questioning yourself.
“However, through those mixed emotions, you want to get up there and perform like a magical unicorn pulling funnies out of her rainbow. It helped that the other comedians were so supportive in every way. When your first joke hits the crowd, and people are laughing, inside you’re telling yourself, ‘You’ve got this!’”
Maharaj, who plays around with one-liner comedy, said: “Stand up comedy gives people the ultimate human satisfaction – laughter. There is not much that can beat the feeling of sitting down and watching stand up comedy, and your stomach hurts from laughing, and you can’t breathe, that feeling can only be experienced at stand up comedy shows. I hunt that feeling.”
Peer said: “Comedy is something that has always been a big part of who I am. To make people laugh, to make them forget for just for a few moments all their troubles, that’s enough to make my day.
“Performing on the Kill or Die stage is an honour and a truly amazing experience. My style of comedy is very personal. I am a storyteller, and I tend to draw on my experiences; finding the funny in things I’ve done and things that have happened to me. I like to incorporate accents and impersonations, creating characters and making it almost like you’re watching a performance in a show.
“I enjoy doing jokes on topics that can be viewed as somewhat tongue-incheek. Things that we all know that no one really speaks about, but, in a very respectful and appropriate way.”
Kill or Die will be hosted by Neil Green, headlined by Jem Atkins on 28 November, 8.30pm at Amsterdam Bar (143 Helen Joseph Rd, Glenwood). For more details email info@onfirecomedy.co.za
latoya.newman@inl.co.za