Trevor Noah is back on home soil to perform for the first time since moving Stateside.
The comedian, who is a hit as the host of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central, is here for There's a Gupta on my Stoep.
After Johannesburg, he's headed to Durban.
Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg, Naoh said he was excited to be home. He also announced that he will be returning home to produce a new show which will be a 13 part comedy series.
“It’s going to be about showcasing the comedic talent we have in our country, we have some comedians that are doing amazing stuff”, he said.
“We are going to be showcasing South African comedy, showing its growth because it has grown in leaps and bounds since I started. You know if it was not for the older generation I would not have got into comedy and I needed the pioneers to lay the groundwork and then I was of the next generation who got to take it to another level. Now we have a new generation doing the same," he said.
He added: “It’s good to be home, it’s also really good to be here now with everything happening in our political landscape, I was here for the no confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma and now I also have content from it for my shows."
Noah continued:“I am very careful to not put myself in a position where my opinions are based on superficial information, so I try to comment as thoughtfully as I can but I also understand that as a comedian I have a knowledge base that is informed by the space that I love in. And that’s what is exciting about the shows I am doing here in South Africa."
Since leaving South Africa, Noah has become a household name and and has bagged a number of awards for his work.
“I always tell people that I was lucky to start comedy up in South Africa, we are such a unique country. People always tell me that they miss me and yes I miss home too but I really don’t think that people understand how amazing the new South African comedians that are coming up actually are. They are young people who are phenomenal so yes I am doing great but we must also celebrate those that are coming up,” he said.
On how he adapts to the different environments he often finds himself in, Noah said that it’s all about tuning himself to the rhythm of that environment.
“I am always working to get better at what I do. Comedy is universal, experiences are shaded by the place that people live in and so what happens is that as a performer I have had to find a way to tune myself to the rhythm of the place I am in. So I live in the place, I try and watch the local news, read, I listen to the people around me to try and get a feeling of what the true essence is of that place. Then I go out there and it really is a conversation with the audience. So even when I come back to South Africa I slowly have to re-calibrate that as well because it’s not the same like doing comedy in America, Australia, the UK, it’s different.”
When asked about the ticket prices for his shows, Noah said many things have to be taken into consideration.
“Putting on a show like this in not easy, it;s a huge task. From the venue hire to the production staff, it all cost a lot, and at the end of the day I am putting on an extravagant show, one that matches how much you pay. There are range of prices to suit everyone. Some might say it is a lot but I also think that it’s time for South Africans to value our own talent. We pay much for an international act but complain to pay for a local performer. We need really need to start appreciating and valuing our own talent”, Noah said.
On why he named his tour There’s a Gupta on my Stoep, he revealed, Essentially I think that right now, we are a country that is confused and we are trying to put the pieces together of how intense and how much effect these people have had on the running of our nation. People are still trying to piece together the emails and the extent of their influence on our government. It also makes reference to one of my favourite movies, There’s a Zulu on my Stoep.”