Clive Chigubu is back!

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent

AWARD-WINNING comedian, Clive Chigubu, last week chose one of the biggest shows during the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo to announce his return to the stage. 

As the first act during the Big Night of Comedy that was headlined by Trevor Gumbi on Friday, Chigubu brought out all the stops and set the bar high for the following acts. He was not overawed by the occasion, in fact he fed off the high expectations and lapped up the pressure, delivering a hilarious act.

Following the birth of his first child two years ago, the comedian has been keeping a low profile – not really performing. Last year, he was supposed to be a headline act at the Intwasa Comedy night, but due to “logistical” problems, he could not make it.

This time around, it was evident from his hilarious act that Chigubu had been up to something. His set with which he poked fun at the late former, President Mugabe, had sound effects and music from James Brown. 

Chigubu, who has a background in theatre, made his on-stage mannerisms intriguing to watch. Squeals of laughter from the crowd with his tagline Yeye! carried Chigubu throughout his performance. 

After his performance, the award-winning comic said: “With the stand-up piece I did, I wanted Zimbabweans to see how we have become corrupt and reflect on the things that we are doing. Away from the politics, I wanted people to laugh at themselves during these trying times.”

He said his performance was a way to test his new material and signal his return to the comedy scene. “Most definitely, the one-man show will be happening and I’ll soon reveal the dates. I was trying out new material on Friday and everything went well. 

“There are one or two things I want to polish up, but generally, I felt so much energy while I was on stage. I missed it,” said Chigubhu.

Using sound effects, Chigubu said, was his tool to stay above other comics. 

“I’ve perfected using sound effects as I’ve done so every time I’m on stage. I want to be different from other stand-up comedians who don’t use these effects. Stand-up comedy is a form of storytelling; hence I use sound effects to tell my story,” said Chigubu.