Have you heard the one where the 4 South Africans, 2 Japanese, a British guy, an Armenian and a New Zealander with tape on his face walk into a theatre? You haven’t? While then get yourself down to the Baxter Theatre for the Vodacom Funny Festival this winter and prepare to laugh.
The festival now in its 15th year (it started off in 1997 as the Smirnoff Funny Festival) runs in June and July each year and showcases some of the best local and international comedy fare.
I have been to the festival several times before and I have to say that the performance I attended on 14 June 2012 was one of the best and most varied I have seen.
My favourite was the first on the line-up: the colourfully mohawked Japanese comedy duo known as Gamarjobat. Although not speaking a word of English, they ably managed to entertain using just sounds and body movements and a few well-chosen props. It was simply astonishing.
Equally brilliant was another “silent” act: the literally named “Boy with Tape on his Face”, a New Zealander whose mouth was covered with black masking tape. This performance artist of note played bizarre games with some unfortunate participants from the audience, making wordless fun out of a few everyday objects and aptly chosen music. It has to be seen to be believed.
Another very different comedian was the very talented and thickly accented Kev Orkian, (his actual name was much longer and more unpronounceable) who claimed to hail from Armenia. He puts his classical piano skills and impressive footwork to use in an amusing song-and-dance routine, the likes of which I had never before seen.
The other acts were more conventional.
Imraan Yusuf, a Pakistan-born Brit told of his misadventures on the dating scene however I felt this became more awkward than funny at some points.
On the local front, the always dependable Kurt Schoonraad had the audience eating out of his hand with his comments about the Claremont police station that is guarded by a private security firm. Piet Potgieter, dressed in khaki and short pants, who claimed to hail from Kraaifontein, made considerable fun of his hometown and Afrikaans heritage in general. There was a further act by a young comedian, whose name escapes me, who did remarkable if somewhat crude, impressions of rugby notables like ex-coach Pieter de Villiers but it would go over the heads of non-fans.
Kudos to the amazing emcee, Alan Commie, who held everything together and warmed up the audience for the acts. His turn as an incompetent psychic medium that tried to match make audience members, had everyone in stitches.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening and although the show was long (at about 3 hours including a 15 minutes interval), it went by in a flash. Definitely recommended.
Barry Ger
The Vodacom Funny Festival which presents a selection of award-winning acts of the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, together with best of local comics and a number of newcomers ends its run at the Baxter Theatre on 8 July 2012.
