adminAuxilia Katongomara Saturday Leisure Reporter
STAND-UP comedy is a fairly new form of art slowly getting recognition in Zimbabwe. A number of comedians are taking it up and the crowds continue to swell. The shows are also increasing each calendar year.However, a number of Zimbabweans have failed to understand the genre. They are still to understand why they should part with their hard earned cash to watch or be part of a stand up comedy show.
The comedians themselves have to be hilarious and fun to entice the audiences. There are several international known comics who have left audiences in stitches each time they hold a show.
Talk of Kevin Hart, Chris Tucker, Trevor Noah, and Martin Lawrence, among others. In Zimbabwe, the likes of Carl Joshua Ncube, Clive Chigubu, Simba the Comic King, Comrade Fatso, Ntando “Van Moyo, Long John and Nomsa among others, have tried their hand at comedy.
But what does it take for one to be a stand up comedy and attract an audience? What makes him or her so sure that what they have to say is hilarious? What does it take to be a stand up comedian?
Saturday Leisure spoke to the comedians to get a full picture of how they managed to get into the comedy business. Clive Chigubu said being a comedian was not a walk in the park.
“First of all being a comedian is not a joke, you have to have a good sense of humour as well as be a good listener”.
He said that was because comedy was therapeutic for people with life problems.
A good comedian must be able to research widely so that when he or she goes on stage they have to say out stuff they know will make people laugh or else they will laugh at you,” he said.
But how does he know that his jokes are hilarious?
“When I think of something that makes me laugh, I try it at home because its very important to test your material before taking it to the people. When people don’t laugh at times it is because of the presentation. There are factors that count such as body language and tone,” he said.
Chigubhu said jokes are not a “one size fits all” as they differ with the audience.
“What I have noticed is that what makes people laugh in Bulawayo might not make people laugh in Harare, so when we have shows in Harare we have to be well versed with the topical issues in that town so that they appeal to that particular audience.
“For international shows, politics and relationships are universal, it’s just the culture and presentation that would be different,” he said.
Chigubu said he had a tough time when he moved from theatre to comedy as the arts genres have different styles of presentation.
“It was a difficult transition from theatre where one has to memorise the script and say it out in chronological order on stage.
What I learnt about comedy is that for one to be a good comedian they have to be very attentive and well versed with current affairs,” he said.
One of Zimbabwe’s most popular comedians, Carl Joshua Ncube said he has received threats from Zimbabwean celebrities after making fun of them at his shows.
“I get threats from celebrities all the time when they get wind that I made fun of them at my shows which I think is ignorance because making a joke about them does not mean that I hate them. American comics make jokes about their celebrities as a way of marketing their products, but here in Zimbabwe people are yet to appreciate it,” said Ncube.
He said the likes of Pokello, Maneta, Chiyangwa and Stunner were some of the celebrities who had pointed out that they were not amused by comedians who take a dig at them at their shows.
Ncube said he had resorted to talking to celebrities way before he goes on stage to make fun of them.
“Stand up comedy is still misunderstood in Zimbabwe because people think that you want to destroy their careers when you joke about them.
I used to do a joke on Honourable Herbert Murerwa’s voice and he did not have a problem with it”.
Ncube said stand up comedy was one of the most difficult arts genres as it required both creativity and one has to be an eloquent public speaker to tell the jokes.
He said he developed a passion for comedy when he was young and he got inspiration from his father. Ncube however, said he only took it seriously when he was 30-years-old.
Nama nominee Ntandoyenkosi “Van” Moyo said the only way to deal with hecklers was to be creative and take a dig at them. “In any show there are people who make funny comments for example you can get someone shouting ‘Uyabhowa’ but you don’t have to be intimidated by that,” said Moyo.
The three comedians concurred that they get their punch lines from current affairs, newspaper stories and from debates on socio-economic issues. They added that the comedy audience is growing in Zimbabwe as evidenced by the number of shows they have booked.
It was bad news however, for Bulawayo comedians this year as they lost to Harare at the National Arts Merit Awards for the second year running. Last year, Chigubu lost to Ncube and this year Moyo lost to Simba the Comic King.
Online Reporter