Riaad Moosa brings comedic repertoire with ‘Life Begins!’
CHATSWORTH and Phoenix are in line for an injection of funny when popular comedian Riaad Moosa, aka the “comedy doctor”, tours the communities soon. Getting older is no joke but Moosa said he has found the lighter side of things in his hit one-man show, Life Begins!
He brings this show, for the first time, to Phoenix and Chatsworth on November 16 and 17. In an interview with POST, Moosa said he loved performing to Durban audiences: “They’re very supportive, familyorientated and very ready to have fun!”
Longevity in comedy is no easy feat, especially being able to hold on to your connection with your audience.
Moosa said he believed there are some aspects to comedy that are important to keep, in order to hold on to this relationship with your audience. “I get very personal with my jokes. I find that the human experience is very similar. If I keep the subject matter real, it tends to resonate with people.”
In Life Begins!, Moosa unpacks whether life really does begin at 40, with the show offering a “snapshot” into his life and being a dad of four children, a husband, a comedian and an actor – in the context of the current cultural and political dynamics.
“Even though I am now 40, in many ways, I feel like I’m still crawling and I’m looking back at my journey from being an aspirational doctor, coming from a relatively conservative Muslim background, where both my parents were doctors, and how I actually journeyed to becoming a stand-up comedian,” said Moosa.
“The show is very philosophical and existential. It involves the normal issues of getting older, while at the same time experiencing – at a maturity where I’m supposed to be wise – a world that is completely turned on its head.
“And it’s about how I negotiate all these things happening around me, while trying to maintain a positive attitude. Through my comedic lens, I hope to put a different spin on that and hopefully my next 40 years will be lived with renewed vigour and excitement,” he said.
The show has had a packed out house wherever it has staged on its national tour.
“There are always new jokes that I add on, based on what’s happening in my life or the world at the time. Also, when I improvise with the audience, it’s always different – but essentially it’s the same show,” said Moosa.
• Shows take place on November 16, at Stanmore Regional Hall, Phoenix; and on November 17, at Rajput Hall in Arena Park, Chatsworth. Both shows start at 8pm. Tickets are R100 at Computicket and Maharaj’s Prayer Goods (Gem City).