And just like that...

...it's weekend.

Life is going a little better.

I have posted a video by Deep Fried Man a few weeks ago. But you can never have too much of a good thing. So here is some more.



Omg, that is lol worthy.

Now go and enjoy your weekend! I know I am. BRB on monday

Beefy Beefcakes

Last week I mentioned that I was going to Beefcakes to give their epic burgers a try, and watch some comedy. Well Sunday came and even though I was suffering from too much fun on braai day, I went to Greenpoint to see how the other side lives.

Now, a quick look at Beefcakes’ website and you won’t need a very good gaydar to see that Beefcakes is tailored for the more... fabulous among us. But if you are like me, and you don’t let the sight of half naked men stop you from browsing a site further, you will see pictures of burgers so epic you would think they are over compensating for something. If that is not a good enough reason to go, they also put on a wide variety of shows, including drag, comedy, hell even cabaret. So beefcakes isn’t new to entertaining 40+ people.

You will also be making a big mistake if you think Beefcakes only caters to those of us that wear sequins. If you let this assumption deter you from going, it would be a sad mistake. Beefcakes is not out to make anyone feel uncomfortable at all. Sure, their barmen are blessed with the muscles of Greek gods, but they are friendly and will suggest and make you a cocktail with true skill. As soon as you sit down you will see everyone is just there to have fun, and fun was definitely on the menu.

Bodyshots, on the menu.

What about the comedy?

Yes, I am getting there. The show was hosted by Martin Davis who is fast becoming my favourite comedy host. A few days before this gig I was brought to tears (of laughter) by Martin when I was a little too close to the stage. The man pulls no punches and will call a spade an excavator. His witty remarks are coupled with his bag of jokes about toothless sharks and possible penguin bestiality. He introduced the first act, KG, an up and coming comic who talks about being an overweight guy in todays world and his dad missing out on all that struggle money.  

WOW! PONCHOS! 

Next up was Kellyn Coetzee, a lesbian comic who I first saw in the Graca Comedy Showdown as a wild card entry. Back then, I thought she was too visibly nervous. Well, she has improved a lot. Either that, or playing to a home crowd put her more at ease. Her jokes ranged from comparing her first lesbian sex experience to riding a bicycle to be sexually accosted by horny dolphins. Kellyn knows how to party...

Last but not least was the best Xhosa speaking Jewish comedian in South Africa, Nik Rabinowitz. Nik is probably my favourite comedian when it comes to culture based comedy. He can make a culture joke without it being offensive in any way. He also has the ability to make the lamest jokes funny. When you tell your buddies at a braai that you greet surfers by saying ‘haai’ you get the cold shoulder and will probably be in charge of getting the next round of drinks. But when Nik does it, everyone laughs. The man has a talent that is a pleasure to watch.

OMGINMYMOUTHNOW! 

Beefcakes have a great atmosphere, great sound and great burgers. All the ingredients for a great night out.

Check out beefcakes.co.za for more info on all their shows. 

Comedy at a rock show.

Rocking the daisies is the hippie version of Ramfest as far as I know. It is all about having a green rock festival to minimize our carbon foot print. Which is great. What is even better though, is that they have comedy.

These daisies are going to be rocked!

After doing some investigation (reading tweets) I have discovered that this year the comedy will be less than usual. But comedy is comedy and it is a lovely break from the guitar solos and singing about love lost days before. So if you find yourself at Rocking the Daisies this year. Head over to the comedy tent and check out some of our local talent. Your ears and neck will thank you. A man can only head bang for long.

Comedy tent line up

Rocking the days happens on the weekend of the 7th to the 9th of October at the Cloof Wine Estate in Darling.

And just like that...

...it's weekend.

Fucking a...

Comedy at Beefcakes

Beefcakes, the beefiest burger bar in town. Burger Bar, never before have two words come together so beautifully, except maybe lotto and winner. I have never been, but I am aiming to change that. What better opportunity do I have than this coming Sunday.

On Sunday, 25 September 2011, Beefcakes is hosting a Comedy night with a very good dish. Starters are Kellyn Coetzee and KG. I have seen KG around and he is a fast up and comer. Will be my first time seeing Kellyn Coetzee on stage and I am always eager to check out new comics.

For the main is Nik Rabinowitz. The man needs no introduction. This all is complemented by crazy uk comic Martin Davis. All of this for a cover charge of R45 rand.

But most of all look at these burgers. I can’t wait to have that in my mouth. 

Om nom nom

Werner Weber and his theory of stupid

I recently had a sit down with local comic Werner Weber to talk about his upcoming show, Devolution: The Theory of Stupid, at On Broadway. The main reason for me doing these interviews is to feed the fanboy monster that lives deep inside of me. Comedy is my sport, I don’t care about the rugby, soccer or cricket. I do care about which comic is doing what when. So for me, these sit downs are a chance to have a one on one with my ‘sporting’ heroes.

Werner is one of those. His story just amazes me. It isn’t a sad story of a bad childhood and how he made it against all odds. Hell, he hasn’t even made it yet. It is a story of a guy who was a fan of comedy, then decided to get up behind the mic and take on the monster. He didn’t stop there. He recently started running his own gigs, gigs that will play host to international acts soon. This guy is a go getter. Yes, it doesn’t take much to amaze me. I am easy like that.

RJ: How long have you been doing stand-up for?

WW: I started ... my very first stand-up night was I think in October 2009, at the end of October, at Pickwicks. Then I did it for a couple of months and then I kind of disappeared for a couple of months so all-in-all probably about 17 or 18 months or so all together, where I’ve played at least once a month.


RJ: So what made you decide to go into stand-up?


WW: I think pretty much the same as every comic... You went to a comedy show and think like “I can totally be funnier than that.” Then you realise you’re not. I think it was the same for me, and also I’ve always loved stand-up comedy. I’ve got a collection of stand-up comedy that’s probably, you know, bar none... I’m not really into like very obscure comedy, but like a lot of the mainstream stuff. I bought a Robin Williams Live on Broadway DVD even before I had a DVD player. That was just, like, the ultimate sort of starting point of me really getting into comedy.


RJ: You obviously work full time, I know you organise comedy gigs, you do comedy AND you’re working on a stand-up show... there are 24 hours in a day, where do you get the time from?


WW: Umm fortunately I have a Time Machine so I can stop time. I suppose ja, it’s like, I don’t know. It’s probably not that difficult to come up with the material. It’s refining the material which is something that you do on stage. So a lot of the writing of the material happens actually while you’re on stage. You come up with a concept and then you go write it there. Then as far as the organising and the nine to five goes, if you just set aside a certain amount of time per day , “Okay now for the next 45 minutes I’m doing just this and I’m not going to let anyone interrupt me “, you can actually get a lot done. I got a theory, people fail to prioritise and they get distracted way too easily and if you manage a very good schedule you’ll be able to achieve a hell of a lot. I don’t always stick to it, and sometimes I just do things at the seat of my pants, and it somehow manages to work itself out.


RJ: Tell me more about your upcoming show at On Broadway. What can people expect from it?


WW: The show’s title is Devolution: The Theory of Stupid and it’s a little bit about me and how I see my own evolution or rather like the lack thereof, and my personal life, and growing older and what comes with it. Being a 30-something male, and then just looking at society in general, and how I see the world going backwards as opposed to going forwards. We’re supposed to be the intelligent species, but all the evidence proves to be counter that. It’s essentially just me wanting to say how I feel about the world and doing it in a funny way so that people will actually listen. It’s kind of me just bitching really – but in a nice way.


RJ: What made you decide to do a one-man show?


WW: Well, after doing the Nando’s Comedy Competition, the Graca Comedy Showdown, I realised that for me it was impossible to compete in a competition where it’s up to the audience vote, because I can see from the audience’s response that I’m funny and I get the people laughing and everywhere I go people are always congratulating me, “That was well done, we really enjoy your stuff, you’re really a funny guy”. I really wanted to win that competition, I won’t beat about the bush, and when I didn’t make it through the first round I’ll be honest, I was gutted. Like jeez, this was a big opportunity and I blew it, not because I blew it, it’s just because I can’t rally the same amount of friends. Some other comics will say that if the people find you funny they’ll vote for you, but it’s not true. People vote for their friends because that where their alliance are. I’ll call a spade a spade. I’m not afraid to piss people off and that made me realise that even if I’d won the competition that doesn’t mean I would have made an impact there.

People came to see the likes of Pablo Francisco and the international acts and at the end of the day you’re the guy that goes up in front and unless you are able to absolutely slaughter them in those five, seven minutes that you have people are not going to remember you. So I realised I’d be far better, how can I say, to use my energy and time to write my own show, do my own show and get the people who come to see me walk away with an idea of what I’m really about in terms of comedy. If you watch me do comedy for five, seven minutes you’re not going to get an idea of who I am as a comic, you’re going to see, sure he’s funny, but a lot of comics can be funny doing five, seven minutes, even ten minutes. But the difference comes in once you have to keep an audience’s attention for 60... 70... 75 minutes. So that’s something I have to challenge myself and do it because I can’t sit around and wait for a lucky break because a lucky break only comes when you make that opportunity for yourself to create that lucky break.


For me the show is not about getting 200 new fans. For me the show is about going through the pains of doing that long set , keeping the people enthused, keeping their attention, and seeing where do I need to improve as a comedian. Because I know I can do a 25, 30 minute set with ease, but the question is can I double up on that? So that’s probably more the important reason why I do it.


If I can walk away from that show with two or three good reviews, or even just people going “You know what, that is very different, that was really good, if this guy does another show we’re going to come see him and we’re going to bring friends”, that’s what I want to take away from this. It’s not about the money, it’s not about anything else. It’s about proving that I can be just as good as an international act that comes out and that gets paid an absolute fortune. I can keep people entertained by not doing racial humour, by not doing the standard stuff that everyone else does, but by being different.


RJ: You’ve said that you’re a big fan of comedy, so how do you keep your own material separate from what you’ve already seen? How do you not accidentally steal something from someone else?


WW: I think you have to be very vigilant in terms of what you do, and it’s easy to. You know you’ll hear a little throw-away line and you’ll be on stage and it pops into your head and you think that you wrote it, so the kind of material that I do is not the kind of stuff that at least the South African comedians that I’ve seen and international – my style is different, I’ve got a much more chatty kind of vibe with the audience so almost every show is different. Even though I’ve got the jokes I kind of have more a conversation with the people as opposed to just doing the material. The things that I do are very personal, so if I’m doing things that are personal to me, that I know are about me and not anyone else, there’s no way someone else could have done it because it’s about me.


Sure there are bits that you make up here and there and invariably if you talk about social commentary it’s going to happen that two comedians will talk about the same thing, it’s going to happen. It doesn’t mean they stole from each other, it doesn’t mean that one saw the other one. If you talk about things that are in the news like Judge Mogeong Mogoeng, Gareth Cliff and Darren Scott, if you talk about those things, chances are some of the more politically orientated comics will talk about the same things but not necessarily in the same way. You can spot the guys that steal gags quite easily. If you’re in this industry long enough you can see which jokes are not original, because you will hear it’s not in their style, it’s something that they’ve picked up somewhere else. As long as you just stay honest and if someone calls you on it and says “hey, that’s my joke”, then fine… and I’ve never had that.


RJ: What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out or wants to join in an open mic for the first time?


WW: Less is more. In the beginning keep it short, keep it punchy. Focus on the punchline and get comfortable with doing a short set. Nobody started out doing an hour’s worth of comedy. Nobody expects that of you. Also just be honest, have fun and don’t listen to what other comics say – don’t take advice from anyone.


RJ: Once your show is done at On Broadway what are you looking to do with it?


WW: Depending on how it goes I might, early next year, do another run, but I’m also planning on doing a lot more video-based content and internet-based content , doing skits and those kinds of things. Because comedy isn’t just about stand-up, comedy is so much more. Comedy is about writing open letters, comedy can be about writing blogs – as long as it’s funny it’s comedy. It can be a picture, it can be a one-liner, it can be anything. My goal is to try and build a comedy brand, not around me personally, but a recognised brand that builds comedy wherever it goes. That organises comedy gigs, some video production, an article, or whatever the case is. Because people can change and people can come and go, but a recognisable brand will always stay. So that’s where I’m hoping to go, is to use a fanbase that I build up to promote a brand which is not necessarily me. Because I also want to take the other comics that are serious about comedy and help them lift themselves up. Because there’s a lot of comics that have been in this industry five, six, seven years and still play open mic spots. Or still play support spots and haven’t done one man shows. If you don’t push yourself you’re always going to stay there. There’s no such thing as someone is going to see you and you’re suddenly going to get a lucky break – that only happens in the movies, in the poorly written movies. It’s all about making it happen for yourself.

You can catch Werner in his one man show, Devolution: The Theory of Stupid at On Broadway on September 26 to September 28. Book tickets at Computicket here...

And just like that...

...it's the weekend!

A few weeks ago South African singer Ard Matthews messed up the South African National Anthem. Not to worry though, Deep Fried Man jumped to the rescue and made the below instructional video to help out English speaking South Africans to sing their own Anthem.



Enjoy the weekend.

Rustum August and the Starving Comics

I sometimes wonder if Capetonians know just how good they have it. Let me explain. I come from a small town called Kimberley. Around there all we have are diamond mines and pubs. When you go out for a night on the town, you go dancing since there isn’t much else to do. Either that or you stay at home and braai with your friends. The yearly ‘Gariep Fees’ was the closest we came to having a festival of any sorts in our mining town. I am not saying there is anything wrong with those two activities, but when that is all you have available to you, the boredom sets in rather easily.


Since I have moved to Cape Town though, I have been spoiled for choice. We have musicals, drama, ballet, opera and of course, my favourite, comedy shows. At any night of the week I can drive to a venue around Cape Town hosting a comedy night and see people who I have only ever seen on TV perform live on stage, mere meters away from me. Yip, Capetonians have it really good.


Not so long ago, I went to Ragazzis for an Open Mic night show. Ragazzi’s is a small bar where the stage is basically the stairs that lead out to the balcony that overlooks Long Street. The Open Mic event is held on the last Wednesday of every month for anyone interested in going. Any newbie comics can come and show their stuff to a crowd that will either love them, or hate them. The event is organised by local Cape Town Comic Rustum August. I was fortunate enough to have a sit down with Rustum to talk to him about the different shows he and the Starving Comics organise:


The point I was trying to make at the beginning of this article is that Capetonians have all these great shows and opportunities right at their finger tips. We do not have to wait for a big festival to come to town for us to be entertained. Let’s not forget this and let’s try and support the local acts as much as we can. If they are bad, it is our job to let them know so they can improve, and if they are good, let’s stand together and cheer for them.

RJ: Tell me more about the Starving Comics, who you guys are and what you guys do around Cape Town for comedy.


RA: Starving Comics is a comedy collective, essentially it started in 2008, there were four of us, and we started at Zula. Now there are just two of us that organise at Zula, and I organise my own shows. Starving comics is probably the unofficial collective of Cape Town comedy, there’s no real structure, and nobody is in charge. Okay, well, I book the gigs so I have to pretty much make sure everybody shows up. There’s no hierarchical order. It’s a collective for people who want to try and boost comedy as a career I guess.


RJ: What gigs do you do around Cape Town?


RA: We do Sundays, it’s called Comics at Work. It’s basically a pretty raw show, so there’s no microphone, no pressure; you take your notes on stage. That’s on Sunday at the Armchair. There’s Zula on Mondays. I run this open mic night once a month, on the last Wednesday of every month. Then the second last Wednesday there’s Pakalolo in Tableview and the last Thursday of every month there’s comedy at Pakalolo in Hout Bay. There’s also Somerset West on the first and last Saturday of every month, but that’s just me.


RJ: So how would you describe the comedy industry in Cape Town?


RA: It ebbs and flows, I think. Winter is obviously a bit of a struggle, but it’s been developing over the past four years. Some venues thrive, others don’t. The weekly ones don’t really gain as many audience members as we’d like but if we don’t do it every week we kind of lose momentum. That’s what happened when Zula moved from its old premises. I mean it had been going downhill for a while, but we didn’t do it for three weeks and then we had the Show Down which was pretty well attended but now it’s back to 16, 20 people which at the old Zula was never... I think the lowest attendance we ever had there was about 24? And that was bad attendance, considering. We’ve had nights at the old venue with 100 people, 120 up to 150. It’s not always conducive comedy, but it’s a gig.

 

Rustum August

RJ: How long have you been doing comedy personally?

RA: My first show was in 2007. I actually spoke to Martin Evans about this yesterday, he MC’d the event and I fuckin’ died on my ass, I didn’t know what I was doing. I can look back now and it’s painful but I’ve come a long way. The first one was in 2007, but essentially I really got into it in 2008. February 2008 is when we started Zula. So I’ve been gigging it since 2008.

RJ: You obviously see a lot of guys trying to get into comedy. What tips would you give to comedians who are just starting out?

RA: Comedy is a very personal thing and for me originality is something that your personality can only bring out. Comedy has a formula like anything else. If you learn the formula you’ve got to then try and imprint your own personality, observations and your own story telling to the formula. The essentiality of comedy is to set up a punch line. I do very short setups. I often have one-worded punch lines. People tell stories and set it up and they get laughs in-between and there’s a big pay off at the end – which doesn’t suit my somewhat schitzo personality. I mean I don’t know if you’ve ever seen me perform, there’s no order of like, now I’m talking about dogs, I talk about anything. A lot of people don’t find it funny – it probably isn’t funny most of time – but some people enjoy it, ja, some people really get into it. I can’t watch myself... I always say I’m getting better, but I don’t really know how good I am. I don’t even think I’m good, I think I’m bad approaching average.


RJ: What do you think comedy in Cape Town needs to give it that extra boost, to push it over the top?


RA: It needs publicity. Sponsorships are another thing, but it needs publicity. People need to be made aware that there’s not just Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola doing comedy, there are other forms of it. Fair enough, if I walk into a night club and I see a band I don’t know will I give them a listen, I doubt it, but if I read about them I’m more likely to. A lot of us are stuck in our shells in Cape Town. We’re these odd click orientated, but it basically needs people to know that comedy is happening and there are people out there trying to make a career out of this. And it’s only dependant on people that come out and constantly support and spread the word. Other than that comedians need to start writing more, doing more and I think building on what they have at the moment. A lot of us are safe in what we do and once you have a reputation on the scene you don’t want to spoil it by, you know, trying new jokes and being shit. So it’s that fine line between constantly building on what you have as well as keeping the old stuff. Constantly evolving your style, your material, because when you start even you don’t know what you’re comfortable with.


RJ: I’ve only ever seen you doing your 15 minute set in a club, are you planning on doing a one-man show?


RA: It obviously will get to that point, but I’m not sure how much of an audience I have. There are a handful of people who would want to come see me for an hour. I don’t know how to deal with an hour really. But I will do it in the future no doubt, at the moment I don’t feel the rush. I see a lot of up-and-coming comics are doing one man shows and I’m all for it but it comes back to constantly creating. I think the more established guys could provide some knowledge like “where to from here”. I mean, we’re all doing it, there’s kind of a scene, but we don’t know where to from here. I see a lot of comedians in the day time unmotivated because, well, they smoke a lot of dope, but it’s also from not knowing where to from here. I mean, I’ve been doing it for four and a half years and I know a little bit, but only because I’ve exposed myself to it and I’ve gone to see people who have done one man shows and spoken to them. That’s obviously the next step but what’s in-between?


RJ: Do all the comics in South Africa basically know each other and are they all friendly towards each other or is it just Cape Town that’s close? I’ve noticed you guys seem to support each other where you can.


RA: I can’t speak for the rest of the country... People who’ve come down and played have been friendly, nobody’s been a ‘primadonna’. There is a camaraderie around Cape Town comics, we are all supportive of the direction we’re heading in, but there’s also a feeling amongst some of us that there’s a click, like Starving Comics is only So-and-so and So-and-so. But if you hang out with your mates who are comics then obviously it’s going to seem like it. Some personalities gel and others just don’t. It’s just the nature of any business or industry.

The shows that Rustum and the gang put together week in and week out are:

•  Comics @ Work every Sunday at the Armchair theatre
  
•  C.O.M.E. (Comedy on Monday Evenings) at Zula bar
  
•  Open Mic Comedy Night at Ragazzi’s on the last Wendesday
  
•  First and Last Saturday of every Month at Old Bridge Tavern.
  
•  Pakalolo TableView on the second last Wednesday of every month.
  
•  Pakalolo Houtbay on the second last Thursday of every month.

High On Comedy will post more info on these gigs as they are finalised and more info becomes available.

Mark Sampson at On Broadway

MARK SAMPSON in AFRICA CLOCKWISE

TWO SHOWS ONLY - SUNDAY 18th and MONDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2011
Our ecological clock is ticking, but don't be alarmed!  This laughter-packed, renewable-powered off-the-grid ECOmedy will make you feel so much better about the end of the world as we know it ... 

Mark Sampson is a master of taking unwieldy subjects, and turning them into comedy gold.  His previous hit show Missing Links explored 6 million years of evolution, while Feels Funny tackled depression - both were sell-out successes..

In AFRICA CLOCKWISE, SA's most adventurous and thought-provoking comedian continues his revolutionary journey in his most demanding quest yet.  Come and discover how Sampson plans to challenge his children to cope with climate change around the coast of Africa as well as challenging his audience to 'BEAT THE HEAT' as the anti-consumer host of a crazy global warming gameshow.  And just because he's had a haircut don't mention Gordon Ramsay.
 
Tickets cost R85.00 each.

Book online here... 

And just like that...

...it's weekend!

Check out Rob van Vuuren in this new online webseries about a white witch doctor.



Interesting...

Enjoy the weekend! Remember to stay calm while applying the balm.

Werner Weber at On Broadway

Werner Weber is fairly new to stand up. He has been doing it for 18 months only. In that 18 months he has established himself in the comedy circle around Cape Town as a contender, all while working a nine to five job. He is the mastermind behind the News Cafe Comedy Gigs once a month that I mentioned before.  So yes, Werner Weber is new, but he is no newbie. To prove this, he has put together his first one man show which will have a short run at On Broadway end of this month. Details below:

CAPE TOWN COMIC PRESENTS HIS OWN THEORY ON EVOLUTION

Werner Weber, widely considered one of Cape Town's best up and coming stand-up comedy acts, is proud to present his début one man show: 

 “Devolution - The Theory Of Stupid”

This straight talker takes on Darwin’s sacrosanct Theory Of Evolution, focussing on how it applies to Nature’s most magnificent ape, the Human Being. Human evolution or, as Werner sees it the lack thereof, is fertile ground for hilarity, thought-provocation and the odd jibe at his fellow Homo Sapien.  He tackles topics such as chivalry, romance, bipolar dogs, seagulls with an attitude and chickens grown in the lab.  

He speaks his mind, although not always in his own voice; fusing the voices of several prominent celebrities with his somewhat distorted view of the urban jungle.  

Werner will be onstage from the 26th till the 28th of September 2011 at the On Broadway Theatre in Cape Town. Tickets are on sale at Computicket at R70 per ticket. Book here...

Check out the trailer here:

 

Ballsy? I for one hope so...

Leave Nonhle Thema alone...

Local Comic and all around nice guy Martin Evans has taken it on himself to tell all the Nonhle Thema haters to leave her alone. Nonhle Thema for those of you who don't know, was a model and then lost her job because of her twitter tirades. Or something like that. I stopped caring at model.

Check the video:



NOW LEAVE HER ALONE!

Follow Martin on twitter for more.

Laugh in the Face of Secrecy!

There are forces at work in the Government that would like to silence our Journalists. They are looking to pass a bill that would mean that Journalists won't be allowed to use any Top Secret information to uncover corruption and will be left to post old stories about racist photos that happened years ago. Wait... they are already doing that... hmmm... well, the act does something... I don't really read the news. Below is the press release for a fund raiser for the Right2Know campaign. You can read more about what they do and join the cause here... 

Laugh in the Face of Secrecy!iKapa comedy fundraiser for the Right2Know campaign
Some of South Africa’s hottest comedians have joined us in the fight against the Secrecy Bill! Your role couldn't be easier: head down to the Labia on Thursday 8 September 2011, sit back, have a laugh and help us raise funds for the final push as the Secrecy Bill heads towards completion.

 Line-Up: Nik Rabinowitz, Siv Ngesi, Anne Hirsch, Corné and Twakkie, and more... When: 18:30 - 20:30, Thursday 8 September 2011 Ticket Price: R80 Venue: The Labia (screen 1)68 Orange StreetGardensCape Town Limited seats available! Reserve your tickets by calling the Labia on Orange at (021) 424 5927

And just like that...

...it is the weekend!

Had a busy week didn't we. Hopeing to keep it up. See you next week.

Here is some happiness and cyanide for you:

And now, Machete don't text.

Review: Piet Potgieter – Scheme Jy ek’s Kommin’

Afrikaans stand up comedy is a very small market at the moment. It is basically Casper de Vries and musicians who double as comedians like Robbie Wessels, Wikus van der Merwe and Kurt Darren. Okay... sorry, that last one was a cheap stab, you are right, I am better than that... Nicolus Louw.

Introduce Piet Potgieter, a self proclaimed Dutchman from the klein karoo who came to the cape to make us laugh, and laugh we did. Piet comes on stage with the only light coming from a table displaying any Dutchman’s bread and butter, brandy and coke. He pours himself a drink that will make any mom proud. The lights come on and he breaks the ice with his first joke. 

Piet makes no apologies for who or what he is. He is dressed in traditional Dutchman garb, an overall top with the sleeves cut off, shorts and vellies with rugby socks. This ‘costume’ works for him and helps to bring in some extra laughs from the crowd. Not that Piet needs them. He has an arsenal of jokes that come from animals running over the road dodging his Ford bakkie to wanting a nose hair transplanted to the tip of his penis to help stop that infernal last drop from making a stain on you khaki pants all the time. The man is a genius. Plastic surgeons take notes.

One can be forgiven to be a little weary of the show. A white Afrikaans guy who calls himself a Dutchman on stage with a mic? It could be done in a cringe worthy way. Luckily Piet does it with respect and style. He is the biggest punch line but not in a way that is offensive in anyway. He plays the character to perfection, sipping on his brandy and coke all the way through the show. Piet will throw some one-liners into the mix of storytelling so fast that you sometimes forget to laugh. There are a few Julius Malema jokes in there which I am not a fan off. But that is more because I think Julius jokes are over done by most comics today. It doesn’t make them any less funny though.

Like I previously mentioned, the whole show is in Afrikaans. But if Afrikaans is only your second language don’t be afraid. My fiancee, who speaks minimal Afrikaans, went with me and she was laughing louder than me at some points.  If, like me, you are Afrikaans with an English partner, Scheme jy Ek’s kommin is a great show to take them to. It will be an education.