The saying “life begins at 40” is something comedian Riaad Moosa is about to experience. Best known for the being the “Comedy Doctor” and to kick- start his adventure in figuring out whether life begins at 40, he will be hosting his one-man show in the next few weeks.
Riaad Moosa in Life begins started at the Baxter theatre at the weekend.
The award-winning comedian, actor, writer and presenter will be inviting audiences on a journey with him to discuss the current cultural and political issues facing the country. Moosa will be turning 40 in June which is the month of Ramadaan.
“Since Ramadaan falls in June, I’ll probably feel hungry when I’m 40,” the comedian said.
Moosa said that even though he is turning 40 in many ways it feels like he is still crawling.
“Doing this show is a way to avoid therapy.
“Instead of paying a therapist to let me talk, I’m going to talk and get paid #IndianRoots” Moosa said.
It’s been a while since South Africans have seen Moosa , who is famous for his segment in the satire news programme, Late Night News with Loyiso Gola.
Moosa hosted his widely popular Second Opinion insert that earned him the Comics Choice Award at the first annual Comic Choice Award in March 2011.
“I’ve mainly been doing corporate shows. Also I’ve been overpopulating the earth,” Moosa said.
In 2012 Moosa released Material, a movie starring himself. The movie was released throughout South African cinemas and received overwhelming support.
It received five Safta (South Africa Film and television awards) awards, Moosa was also awarded the award for Best Actor.
“My real parents are nothing like the parents in the movie.
“My parents have always been so supportive and they loved it” .
Moosa is also a qualified medical doctor, who practised for two years and then quit to pursue a career in comedy.
“I only do health promotions these days, no clinical medicine - however I am considering charging medical aid rates at my comedy shows as a compromise”, he said.
In 2003 Moosa married businesswoman Farzanah Bemat. The couple has three children.
“Having three children is such joy.
“They are the most wonderful natural disasters I’ve ever experienced”.
Moosa is expected to challenge some thorny issues not only facing our country but the world.
“ It involves the normal issues of getting older while at the same time experiencing, at a maturity where I’m supposed to be wise, a world that is completely turned on its head - with Trump, with Brexit. In South Africa, the ‘State of Capture’, ‘Fees Must Fall’, ‘DooM’” Moosa said.
We also asked if his progressing to a new age is slowly changing his outlook on different issues such as his perceptions on the LGBT community and youngsters pursuing careers as entrepreneurs.
He replied “turning 40 is not like having a brain injury” Moosa said.
He will be at the Baxter’s ’s Golden Arrow studio for his 10 shows.
Asked about his future plans and what can we expect from
him , Moosa exclaimed “That’s a secret, but we’re writing a
follow-up to Material. It’s in the third draft.”
* Tickets at Computicket stores at R150 a ticket. The shows starts at 8.15pm and 4pm on Sundays and at 5pm on Saturdays. It ends on February 25.