‘99% Xhosa Comedy’ back in East London
AFTER a two-year absence, the popular 99% Xhosa Comedy is coming back to East London this week with a bigger show and Dispatch readers stand a chance to win tickets.
Comedy lovers are in for a treat as the biggest Eastern Cape vernacular comedy returns with an even bigger lineup of comedians such as Zwelitsha-borncomic Ndumiso Lindi, who will host the event and Generations actor and comedian Siyabonga Radebe. Other hot acts to look out for are Skhumba Hlophe, Isaac Gampu, Lwando Mahlakata, Donovan Goliath and Mthunzi Ntoyi – who are currently making waves in Johannesburg comic circuits.
The gig will be at the Orient Theatre on Friday night and, for the first time in its history, it will have a music feature by Shota, an Afro dance music sensation and a member of Shana.
Started in Durban as 99% Zulu Comedy in 2006, the event enjoyed popularity as it was the first of its kind that offered stand-up comedy in an African language. It then moved to Port Elizabeth in 2008 under the title of 99% Xhosa Comedy, drawing hundreds of fans from as far as East London and Mthatha. East London hosted the event twice in 2010 before it took a break from the Eastern Cape. Organiser Monwabisi Grootboom said the reason for the two-year break was purely based on their market strategy. “I felt that I might have made a mistake by bringing too many shows to the Eastern Cape and people expected new material every time. Unfortunately this puts pressure on comedians to come up with new stuff. Hence the break,” said Grootboom.
He said the show had spread its wings nationally with their first one in Johannesburg in December last year and Cape Town will have its turn shortly after East London.
Besides Lindi and Radebe, Grootboom said he chose to bring in the fairly unknown youngsters to balance Friday’s show. “I chose Lindi because he knows the area and people know him and his fans will have a good dose of him as he will be the MC. The other guys are still young and they are hungry for the spotlight.”
“These are the same guys that are big on the Johannesburg comedy scene at the moment and they are from the Eastern Cape, except for Hlophe and Radebe,” said Grootboom.
The show starts at 8pm and tickets are R150 at Computicket and Shoprite/checkers. Tickets won’t be available at the venue.
The Daily Dispatch is giving away 10 double tickets to the show. Visit www.dispatch.co.za to enter.