They say home is where the heart is and for a newer version of her one- woman show, Celeste Ntuli (pictured) will get it pumping.
After a successful run at The Lyric Theatre in Joburg in May, the comedienne is back to present Home Affairs 2 at the venue tonight.
“Because of public demand, I am bringing Home Affairs 2,” starts Ntuli. “Originally, the idea of the show was to talk about family issues. I thought about naming it Family Affair, but the issues I wanted to discuss weren’t specific to my family. So in the show, I talk about stuff that happens in homes.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking the show has anything to do with the place where you go to ask government for permission to visit other countries. “I touch on politics a bit,” Ntuli admits, “but more about something political that all South Africans are going to relate to. I don’t concentrate on current affairs much, except to say how what happens in Parliament affects us in the home.”
Ntuli’s opening act will be Thenjiwe Mosley, who is rising in the comedy industry. I ask Ntuli if the perception of togetherness that she and some of the other leading ladies of stand-up comedy portray is accurate.
“It’s amazing. Even if you meet people in a social setting, you think, ‘I wonder if she can try stand-up comedy because she’s so funny!’ When I see a woman in comedy, it’s like, yeah! In business, women can work together more than people think.”
Ntuli is definitely about her business and honing her craft. In addition to being a comedienne, she is a Royal Soapie Award nominee (for her role on Isibaya) and has a film coming up, The Jakes Are Missing.
“At this point, comedy has a special place in my heart because that’s where I gained my confidence,” says Ntuli. “People have known me as a comedian since 2005 and I feel so much more at home with comedy. With acting, I know I have more to learn.”
l Home Affairs 2, The Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City, tonight. From R150 at Computicket and the box office.