adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
BUDDING Bulawayo-based comedian Long John who has left people in stitches at Umahlekisa Comedy Nights with his wit and guile which makes him unforgettable in any comedy line-up, looks forward to a lengthy career as his stage name suggests.So talented is Long John that at the age of 18, he got his first comedy gig in Harare at the Simuka Comedy Nights.
Born Learnmore Mwanyenyeka in 1993 in Chimanimani, Manicaland, Long John said he knew that he was going to be in comedy at the age of 10.
“I was exposed to comedy when I was young as my mother used to watch it a lot. At the age of 10, I saw that I was confident and could make it in comedy. I started performing when I was in high school and I was good at cracking jokes. So being in comedy was just natural for me,” he said.
Mwanyenyeka who got the stage name Long John from his peers because of his height, said he was inspired to be a comedian by Zimbabwean comedian Michael K and American comedian Dave Chapelle because of the way they tell their jokes.
“These two are both story tellers. I like the way they deliver their jokes and their punch lines. They inspire me to be the comedian I am today,” said Long John.
He said he had initially travelled to Harare two years ago in search for greener pastures before coming to Bulawayo to pursue his career.
“I went to Harare to get experience because as a budding comedian, one needs as many gigs as possible,” he said.
Long John said after staying in Harare for six months he moved to Bulawayo with his uncle and quickly started networking with fellow comedians in the city.
“I linked up with Ntando Van Moyo via Facebook who gave me a platform to perform at a comedy event at Cape to Cairo. Since then, I have been performing at different places in Bulawayo,” he said.
Long John who is looking for capital to start a business said he sometimes performs for free to perfect his art.
“For now I perform for free at some shows so as to perfect my art as a comedian,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter