HOT ON the heels of his recent one-man show, Funny Country, journalist and comedian Masood Boomgaard (pictured) hits the stage running with yet another brand new show, titled Oscar and other things that can kill you – yes, he went there!
Boomgaard said that in this show he picks up where the election themed Funny Country left off in that his material will take a bite out of South African politics – and it will of course include his views on the infamous Oscar Pistorius murder trial, the judgment of which was also delivered just last week.
“A lot of the material is stuff I’d written before Funny Country but didn’t use because it didn’t fit the theme of the last show.
“I’ve also been writing a lot over the past few months and have been dying to get up on stage and do the material,” he explained.
With the name of the show in itself being quite in your face, we asked Boomgaard how, as a comedian, he guages when is the right time to joke about something.
“There’s always this debate about timing, but I think it comes down to perspective. For some people there’s never a right time to joke about certain things. My comedy doesn’t pass judgement on anyone, it’s largely observational.
“That’s what the show is about – an observation of current events. With regards to the Oscar thing, it’s the most talked about thing of the year and I sort of look at the response to it from a public point of view – the phenomenon of the Oscar trial rather than the merits of the case or whether he is good or bad or whatever. But as the name of the show suggests, it’s just one of many things I talk about.”
Similarly with his political jokes – and especially with Boomgaard also being a journalist – we asked how he ensures that his comedic material is not perceived to be biased towards any particular political wing? “It is a challenge to stay middle of the road and I always remind myself not to lean too hard to any particular side,” he said.
Asked whether he ever felt intimidated when he found himself performing before politicians, he said: “Politicians are people too. They also like to laugh and in many cases they’re a lot more thick-skinned than you might think. So a little joke here or there is not really going to upset them terribly…
“Although on one or two occasions I’ve had city (eThekwini municipal) councillors in the crowd and I wondered whether after doing certain gags I’d mysteriously find my lights cut when I got home,” he joked.
On a parting note Boomgaard said: “I think what makes South Africans awesome is the fact that we can laugh at ourselves. There is so much bad news out there, I think some laughter is critically important.
“I think humour can bring us closer together.”
• Oscar and other things that can kill you stages on September 19 and 20 at 8pm at Seabrookes Theatre in Musgrave. Tickets R80 Computicket/Shoprite.