SIX of the best. That’s what South Africa will be giving London, as six local comedians head off to the UK for the Cape Town Festival in London.
The group flies out on Tuesday to take the local comedy brand to the New Wimbledon Theatre from Thursday to Saturday.
The show features Marc Lottering, Alan Committie, Siv Ngesi, Nik Rabinowitz, Tumi Morake, and Carl Wastie.
Committie, the MC, says the local festival has become an incredible brand with a loyal audience, and taking it abroad is the obvious next step.
Organisers have also received an invitation to take it to Dubai. The Wimbledon theatre is situated in an area with large numbers of South Africans.
“We’re in the right area, with a targeted audience, at a great comedy venue... I find that South Africans want to laugh, and have a taste of home,” says Committie.
While the expats are the targeted audience, they are expecting local Londoners too, and the comedians will more than likely tailor their material to suit a more diverse audience, says Committie.
“We can do the best of our stuff, but most will go for a more universal flavour of Cape Town, with references that everyone will understand,” says Committie.
He has participated in five consecutive Cape Town Funny Festivals.
Ngesi, a new comic talent, plans to use the opportunity to learn from the “elders” like Lottering and Committie and get one step closer to his dream.
“My dream is to perform to expats across the world. Expats are hungry for anything South African. They’ll pay R250 for a bottle of chutney.They even miss the government being corrupt,” quips Ngesi.
He describes Committie as one of the best comedic MCs in the country. “I’ve never come on to a warmer, more receptive crowd,” says Ngesi.
The local festival takes place for a month each winter, to full houses. Next year’s festival takes place from July 20 to August 16. The aim was to sell 30 percent by December. They have already surpassed this figure, says organiser Eddy Cassar.
Once the next Cape Town Festival is concluded, they’ll start working on more international instalments. Organisers are hoping to make the London event an annual fixture.
“The project sets a new tone in the promotion of the city of Cape Town to an international market and exposes its comedic culture and diverse richness,” says Cassar. - Cape Argus