Comic show jest around the corner
SOUTH African comedians have everything it takes to perform on the international stage. That’s the word from funnymen Schalk Bezuidenhout, Loyiso Madinga and Neil Green, who will be in Durban for the Trending Comics show this weekend.
Described as some of “the hottest young comedians performing in the country today”, the show is leg two of a comedy tour with Durban’s Neil Green saying this weekend’s performances come off the back of a very successful start to the tour in Cape Town last weekend.
“For Trending Comics, we have the whole tour vibe going on and the audience is buying into it.
“There was just so much energy in our first stop last weekend. The dynamic between us is crazy and we have four completely different styles of comedy,” said Green.
And it’s these styles which are often developed when a comedian takes his material overseas.
Loyiso Madinga has recently returned from the Montreal Comedy Festival, one of the biggest comedy stages in the world, as well as having performed in New York, Switzerland and South Korea.
“From what I’ve seen, we are up there with the best. You can’t take away from Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola leading the way.
“They have been those guys coming before us and opening doors. We want to open those doors a little wider.
“For all comics, wherever we do comedy, we may be alone on the stage but we are still representing each other. Audiences have seen our style of humour and they are willing to see South African comedians again. For Trending Comics, we are each bringing our own unique narrative,” said Madinga.
He has toured locally with Noah on the Nationwild show as well as being an Emmy finalist as a writer and performer for satire show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola and the Safta-nominated hit sketch comedy show The Bantu Hour.
Well-known on the comedy circuit, Schalk Bezuidenhout, who is the third touring member for the show, agreed that Noah and Gola paved the way for South African comedy.
“I believe SA comedians have always been at an international level and, with the success of Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola, our comedians are going all over the world,” he said.
Having returned from doing a one-man show in London recently, he added: “People want to hear our stories. Out there they know a lot less about South Africa than we think and they find us super interesting.”
Bezuidenhout said that overseas, particularly the UK and USA, comedy tours were hugely popular.
“There is a big touring culture where you will get comedians on the road together and we want to bring that back to SA,” he said.
The Trending Comics Tour started last weekend at the Cape Town Comedy Club which has recently been listed in the “Top Ten Comedy Clubs in the World”.
The show will be in Durban tonight and tomorrow at 031 Station43, Station Precinct, before going to the Goliath Comedy Club in Johannesburg.
Tickets are R150, to book go to http://qkt.io/OEMYFZ