INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Nik Rabinowitz presents You Can't Be Serious, at the Baxter until January 15.

YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS.

Written and Directed by Brent Palmer.

Starring Nik Rabinowitz.

Baxter Golden Arrow Studio until January 15. Tuesdays to Fridays at 8.15pm and on Saturdays at 6pm and 8.30pm.

The master of impersonation and thigh-slapping stand-up comedy is back with a hot new show that doesn’t disappoint. Nik Rabinowitz breathlessly whizzes through the highs and lows that characterised 2010 in South Africa, the rest of Africa and abroad.

And no one is spared. Jews, Christians and Muslims all get a funny stick poked into their sensitive ribs as he unapologetically exposes their idiosyncrasies. Being Jewish, he does spend a lot of time teasing himself, which in turn justifies his giggle-bomb attacks on other religions and races.

Of course, a good deal of laughter is spent on President Jacob Zuma’s list of 2010 misadventures. Rabinowitz comments on the prez’s recent trip to Cuba during which he wrote off Cuba’s R1 billion debt to South Africa.

In return, says Rabinowitz, Zuma received two bags of tobacco leaves and 12 virgins to roll the tobacco on their thighs. In addition to the debt write-off, Rabinowitz says the prez has thrown in two of his wives, 11 kids, and the corresponding amount of grandchildren. Oh, and some garden furniture and a lifetime supply of baby oil. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe gets a thorough beating with the funny stick and even our beloved Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu doesn’t get away un-mocked.

Rabinowitz is rapidly establishing himself as the master of impersonation when it comes to South African accents. His Tutu voice is spot on and hilarious. But it is really Bok coach Peter de Villiers’s accent that had the audience roaring. Rabinowitz can slip from a Tutu cackle to a husky Helen Zille growl, to the nasal drawl of his bitchy kugel black girlfriend from Joburg – in seconds.

Rabinowitz can also be heard on Cape Talk’s Redi Tlhabi Show on most Fridays. He presents a slot called “The Week That Wasn’t” and it is always a hilarious take on the week’s happenings. And it is free.

The man works hard at perfecting his craft but he is obviously having a rip-roaring time of it as well, which is infectious. It’s one thing being entertained by a consummate professional. The super-sized cherry on top is watching him do it with so much joy. We just love someone who loves what they are doing. Besides, South Africa’s comical politicians and public figures are simply handing the sushi humour to him served on nubile models.

I am sure Rabinowitz doesn’t have to stretch the truth, or tinker with the facts, too much – the daily shenanigans in this country read like a comedy script anyway. With the disturbing news of Zuma deciding to follow through with his lawsuit against satirical cartoonist Zapiro for his “Lady Justice” cartoon, it is good to see artists still fearlessly hold public figures accountable for their actions that in some way or another will affect us.

However, Rabinowitz says it’s not all fun and games and that he has a factory of 11-year-old kids in his comedy sweatshop in Limpopo hard at work, day and night, crafting his fart jokes and one-liners.

His performance is slicker and sharper than ever. You really have to pay attention so as not to miss double meanings, subtle insinuations, and the multilayered metaphors he shoots out at full velocity.

His humour is accessible and will appeal to our entire rainbow nation. Opening night certainly looked and sounded like the perfect demographic slice of South Africa.

The first round of tickets has been sold out. Additional nights from January 11 to 15 has been added, but I am sure they will be scooped up in no time, so be quick if you want to see the Nik.

l Tickets are R100 to R120. To book, call Computicket at 083 915 8000. - Cape Times