THE hilarious trio who brought you the Curry on Laughing, which ran for five years, are back in town with their new show, Keeping Up With the Koopasamys.
In the production, Jailoshini Naidoo, Sans Moonsamy and Eubulus Tracy turn their attention to the shenanigans of the Koopasamy family. The show is a spoof based loosely based on the reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Tonight caught up with Naidoo, who explained the journey that led to Keeping Up With the Koopasamys and a bit about the show, which is jointly written by the trio.
“All three of us are comedians and actors and we have been friends for many years. We decided five years ago to get together and do something and that’s how Curry on Laughing came about.
“We ran that year after year in Joburg and in Durban and were always sold out. There is that market where people really want to come to a show and have a laugh and have fun and enjoy themselves, and that’s the market we target.”
Naidoo said Curry on Laughing had had a good run, but the time eventually came for something new: “When it ran its course we were already thinking that we needed to do a new show.
“We played around with ideas every time we met and one day I thought Keeping Up With the Koopasamys sounded like a good idea. We could work it around a family. At the same time a lot of people watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and there’s the whole thing about keeping up with the Joneses – these things have interested people in different ways.
“With the Kardashians, whether you like it or hate it, you can’t help but watch it. You’re just hooked. They are people stories. You identify with things – sisters, families, family politics. They affect people generally and you are always going to see something that you identify with.
“We felt we have our own stories based on our own families and lives, and people around us we see and we know, like aunties and uncles, which always works well with our audiences.”
In Keeping Up With the Koopasamys, “we have three sisters – Kim or Kimeshnie”, Naidoo laughs, before continuing, “Koekie and Kunthie, and each has specific characteristics. I won’t tell you the details, but they’re funny characteristics,” she chuckles.
It’s through the sisters’ differing personalities that a lot of the shenanigans and tiffs take place.
“Then we have the mother, who is just fed up with her good-for-nothing daughters who are not getting their lives together.
“And we have a father, but the mother rules the roost.
“We have all sorts of characters coming and going as they try to get Kim married off – the suitors and all sorts of strange and wonderful things coming up.”
In a press statement, Moonsamy said their show would present an authentic Durban version with the three actors portraying characters like the fat sister Kunthie Koopasamy, Kanya East, The Nosy Neighbour Sameer, Aunty Mummy Girl, Kim Koopasamy, Koekie Koopasamy and Mani Koopasamy.
“If you thought the Kardashians were controversial, they fall short in comparison with the Koopasamys. Kim has just celebrated her 40th birthday, but is unmarried, bringing shame upon her family,” Moonsamy said.
“Her sisters Koekie, the aspiring exotic dancer, and Kunthie, the overweight foodie, are also family embarrassments.
“Find out what happens when all your children are the black sheep of the family.”
• Keeping up with the Koopasamys, March 28 to 30 at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World. R125 at Computicket. Suncoast cardholders get up to 20 percent discount.