Laughing a full-time vocation for some
HE’S a born storyteller, drawing much of his material from the melting pot of cultures in Durban and making him a firm favourite on the South African comedy circuit.
And now Neil Green has decided to make stand-up comedy his full-time pursuit, after the runaway success of his sold out one-man show at the Goliath Comedy Club in Johannesburg.
I’m ill will play in Durban for one night at the Jewish Club, K E Masinga Road.
Competence
Speaking to The Independent on Saturday this week, Green said he had spent the past nine years focusing on reaching the right level of competence, from which a comedian could take that plunge into a full-time career.
“When I started out nine years ago, it was a case of doing one show every three months, which has changed now that comedy has become more popular, and I have worked with great comedians such as John Vlismas.
“Many comedians reach a level of competence which sees them going to Joburg, but due to commitments I stayed in Durban,” he says.
And the sheer diversity of the city has provided him with loads of inspiration for his shows.
“There’s so much character and culture here, within a 5km radius there will be different people, different sounds, different food.
“For 34 years I have been in Durban, it’s this network of little hubs and I have new experiences all the time, it’s a writer’s dream,” he says.
But it was an end-of-year national tour and his recent sold-out show at the Goliath Comedy Club in Johannesburg which persuaded Green to put all his energy into his comedy – even though the Durban comedy industry is still being established.
“The big difference between the two cities is that in Johannesburg there’s an established comedy culture, whereas in Durban, you have people who want to go out.
“In the same way there’s a certain pool of people who like the theatre, there’s a certain pool of people in Joburg who like comedy.
“Durban is unpredictable and it’s much more difficult to get people to come out. There are just no rules to that whole process,” said Green.
Admitting to having loved comedy since he was young, especially the likes of UK comedian Steve Coogan, as well as the Blackadder series, Green spends many hours preparing for a show and is committed to creating material that is original and fresh.
“When I go on stage I’m prepared, my framework is very tight and one thing leads into the next. I also make notes before and after a show.
“I don’t like to follow trends and my core comedy has a different feel. It’s similar to the difference between listening to a musician doing a cover, or being introduced to new music.”
On the international circuit, he enjoys the very sharp Sean Lock, while on the home stage, he likes Joey Rasdien and Durban’s Carvin Goldstone, who, according to Green, has been a mentor in many ways.
And for this rising local star it’s important to “push the envelope” when it comes to entertaining your audience, and he has been described as “honest, intelligent, edgy and undeniably hilarious”.
Tickets for I’m ill on August 26 can be booked through www. Quicket.co.za for R100 or at the door for R120. For more information, e-mail info@ onfirecomedy.co.za