A case of when first impressions count
GET ready to laugh. Masters of comedy Marc Lottering and Mark Banks will be in town next week for the biggest ever Durban Comedy Week.
Incorporating the inaugural Ballito Comedy Carnival, an impressive line-up of comedians, both local and on tour from Johannesburg and Cape Town, will take to the stage, including the likes of Tats Nkonzo, Khanyisa Bunu, Devin Gray, Carvin Goldstone, Masood Boomgaard and Neville Pillay.
Speaking to The Independent on Saturday this week, Banks, a veteran in the South African comedy industry, confirmed he will be bringing some material from his current hit one man show Banksrupt, which includes The Beginner’s Guide to Protesting, How to Raise and Train Your own Member of Parliament, as well as the Observer’s Book of the Gupta.
“Some people have told me they turn the news off as they find it too discouraging, but we will laugh through it. South Africans love to laugh. We have more comedians per capita than anywhere else in the world at the moment,” said Banks.
With the ever-growing trend of comedy in the entertainment sector, Banks said while humour used to be provincial, it has now a more national blend.
“We have some great new talent, with some young comedians storming through. Trevor Noah really opened the door for South African comics,” he said, adding that while comedy used to be about telling jokes, it’s now more lateral with lots of issues coming under the spotlight.
Banks admitted that he always carries a notebook to jot down moments he could use in his material.
“It can be a problem, especially in restaurants where they think you are a restaurant critic from the media. I also sometimes get a funny thought which I put down and may lead to a sketch,” he said.
Having received the Lifetime Achiever Awards in the 2015 Comic Choice Awards, Banks said the highlight of his 25-year career was a standing ovation at the Royal Albert Hall.
When down in Durban, he said he hoped to get a chance to have lunch at the Oyster Box, while going to the Roma Revolving Restaurant is on his bucket list.
“I’ve always loved the Durban city centre. You used to be able to sit in the Royal Hotel and if you were there for long enough, you would see everyone you know, including those going through to the parking.
“It seems Durban has moved north, it has moved out of itself. But I am looking forward to being there, Durban always has great audiences, they really love to laugh. It’s going to be a lot of fun” he said.
Another veteran in the world of comics, Lottering will also be here and can’t wait to get to KwaZulu-Natal.
“I always love the weather in Durban. Seems to be great for my hair,” said Lottering, who hopes to “do some chilling at those uMhlanga spots”.
While his latest show #HastagLottering has been a hit, he said he would be bringing new material for the Comedy Week. Like most comedians he is a great people watcher.
“Yes, people-watching is one of my favourite pastimes. If I see something that makes me smile or triggers a funny story, I generally jot down a note on my phone or serviette.”
If his career path had not been blocked by the comedy bug, Lottering said his dream was to be a back-up vocalist.
“I would have loved to be a back-up vocalist for a super world-famous rock star. That just seems like the coolest job in the world. Looking cool and swaying from side to side to thousands of screaming people,” he said.
And being a hugely popular comedian, he has made his own memorable moments along the way.
“A favourite memory is created every time there’s thunderous applause. That just never gets tired,” he said.
For more information on Durban Comedy Week, which runs from September 28 to October 2, visit www. onfirecomedy.co.za Market, 40 Gladys Mazibuko (Marriott) Road, Greyville Open: Sunday 8.30am-3.30pm, Monday 7.30am-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday 7.30am - 9.30pm Phone: 031 309 8581 FIRST up: be careful which website you use for information on the restaurant – use www. marketrestaurant. co.za and NOT www. themarketrestaurant.co.za (spot the subtle difference).
Both refer to the same restaurant, but the latter version, including its “updated” menu, is about two years out of date.
Market has always been one of my favourites as a lunch-time meeting venue, or for a laid-back catch up session with old friends, but for some reason I have rarely ventured there at night.
Looking for a place to eat the evening before my son returned to the Cape, my wife did a quick search for its latest dinner menu and we headed off. I ended up saying goodbye to a slightly larger chunk of my credit card than anticipated, but for the most part the meal was, as is normal for Market, superb.
I have often wondered why more restaurants do not take better advantage of the superb Durban weather. Maybe I am looking in the wrong areas, but there seems to be something of a famine of pavement caféstyle eateries where you can bask in mild winter sun and eat a decent meal. There are a few, and the number seems to be growing, but Market has always stood out for me ever since I found it by accident tucked away at the end of a driveway.
I love its atmosphere by day – sitting under a tree near a water feature enjoying a meal reminds me of travelling around Spain and France where food is often eaten while watching the world pass by.
At night, Market’s ambience is even better and the fairy lights in the tree and simple décor and lighting makes for a stunning first impression.
Our waiter was very attentive and then slightly over-attentive for grumpy old me. Initially, I felt I was being rushed into a choice of wine and then starter, but after that he could not be faulted and was on hand with advice, suggestions and service only when needed.
My meal was like the waiter – it did not make a good first impression, but improved. My starter, a caprese salad of fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, beetroot and basil pesto (R60), was dry and lacked flavour, but was forgotten when my main arrived.
My son’s and wife’s meals were pretty much perfect.
The wife, being the wise one in the family, opted to skip starters and leave space for the mains. The boy opted for a seared beef fillet starter with sweet potato quinoa and creamy grilled mushrooms (R85) and the grin on his face said it was pretty close to perfect.
The two males followed with chicken breast mains stuffed with goat’s cheese and red pesto wrapped with bacon and served on pasta (R138). My grin matched his this time. They were tender, tasty and filled with contrasting flavours.
My wife managed to persuade the powers that be to allow her to order her favourite lunch item and declared her butternut ravioli (R98) as good as ever.
But the desserts topped everything. The teen devoured his chocolate fondant (R50) with as much gusto as he used to devour anything sweet as a 10-yearold. My crème brûlée (R50) was perfect from the caramelised sugar crust to the bottom of the creamy vanilla custard.
Our visit may not not have had the best start, but overall it was worth the early setbacks.