Why so serious?

If you’ve found yourself consumed by negativity, you’re due for some comic relief. Comedian Donovan Goliath has a different view of the world, which will help you see the funny side of life.

comedian Donovan goliath on the funny side of life

Have you always been funny?

When I was a kid, my sister and I would entertain ourselves by impersonating our family members and our parents’ friends. I love attention and I’ve never been afraid of making a fool of myself, so I was always the first person on the dance floor. I collected jokes from newspapers and magazines and kept them in a flip file. I would study them, then re-tell them to my school friends.

When did you decide to pursue a career in comedy?

I enjoyed making people laugh, but I hadn’t considered making a living from it – that’s not usually an option if you grow up in Mthatha. The bug bit in 2011, when I watched a stand-up show in Joburg. Tol Ass Mo was one of the acts who performed that night. I was in awe. Watching him tell ridiculous stories about his life and struggles inspired me to write my first five-minute set about being a white-looking, Xhosaspeaking coloured kid, navigating life in Mthatha. After I experienced that first wave of laughter, which I loved, I was addicted. A few months later, I resigned from my job and – Bam! Now I’m interviewing with Glamour magazine [insert smiley emoji, here].

What or who inspires you?

I’m a storyteller. Most of my material comes from real-life experiences and things I’ve seen or heard that I find funny. I do impersonations on stage, so I’m always watching or listening to people to spot quirks that I can use in my stories.

What, in your opinion, is the importance of humour in society?

It brings people together, and creates a happy and positive environment. We live in a dark, twisted and stressful world right now, so I think humour is more important than ever.

What are the benefits of humour?

There are many benefits, but this quote from Jim Carrey sums it up best: “my role is to free people from concern”. I think that says a lot.

Please list scenarios where humour could come in handy?

• Flirting

• First dates

• Any awkward situation where it can be used to break tension

• Speeches

• When you’re about to be punched in the face by Mike Tyson

You’re a successful comedian. Is there a knack to it?

Writing, practise and throwing yourself in front of many audiences, as often as you can, until you find your voice or style, is a sure way to start getting yourself out there. In this day and age, social media and branding play a massive role in helping you grow and showcasing you to as many potential fans as possible. The key is consistency: once you start making a name for yourself, you mustn’t take your foot off the gas, because that’s when the real work starts.

How do you recover from telling a joke people don’t find funny?

It’s happened to me so many times. In the beginning, it bothered me. Imposter syndrome would kick in, and that voice in my head would tell me I’m rubbish. You gotta push through that and be practical about it. Now, I figure out why it didn’t work, try and resolve it and throw it back out there again. If it doesn’t work the second or third time, you should park it.

Have you experienced awkward moments during your live performances?

• I was in a line-up, and the MC performed a wrestling move on a member of the audience who wouldn’t stop heckling. He dropped this guy so hard that the stage broke. This brought the show to an immediate halt.

• I once performed to a room full of very drunk farmers in Botswana. I was meant to do a 30-minute set, but I’d managed five minutes of it when one of the guys stood up and told me I wasn’t funny. Everyone started cheering and clapping, which I took as my cue to exit the stage.

Do you think laughing at ourselves is the key to coping with life’s challenges?

Absolutely! I think many of us take ourselves waaaay too seriously. It’s just so much hard work trying to be perfect and please everyone. I think the key to happiness is to be super-content with who you are, which means embracing your flaws, too.

What are some of the things people can do to inject humour into their daily lives?

Come to all of my shows! Just kidding. There are lots of very funny YouTube channels, podcasts and TV shows. You can jump onto any of these platforms and find something that appeals to your sense of humour. Funny memes shared on WhatsApp have already begun to make the world a little more bearable –if only for brief moments. Donovan will tour South Africa with his new one-man show in 2020, so look out for him in your city. For more details, follow him on the socials: @DonovanGoliath @donovangoliath

Or, visit goliathandgoliath.com

“I think the key to happiness is being super-content with who you are”