FELIX Hlophe is a man on the move.
Having garnered a following as a radio jock – previously on Gagasi FM and Vuma FM, and soon to be heard on a new radio station which he can’t say too much about right now – Hlophe is well appreciated in stand-up comedy circles.
Just like his radio career, his stand-up comedy career is snowballing. A glance at street poster ads alone tells you how in demand he is with Hlophe being booked week in and week out for different shows.
In a chat he revealed that in two months he’ll be staging his new one-man show and releasing his second DVD. We asked what it was about comedy that has him so hooked: “It’s a sort of fulfilment and sense of accomplishment that you get when you’ve made a difference and you’ve entertained people… It’s a gift of love, it’s a gift from God. It keeps me going to know that I’ve made a person’s day a tad better.”
A proudly KwaZulu-Natal man, Hlophe said he loves that KZN humour is different.
“We are different (people) and our brand of humour is totally different… I like to talk about a range of issues from workplace dynamics to race relations to relationships… with a KZN spin on it,” Hlophe says.
Hlophe will next be seen at Durban Comedy Jam, where he’ll share the stage with some of the best comedians Durban and South Africa have to offer, including Jason Goliath as MC.
“A lot has happened in my life from being a radio jock to doing isiZulu stand-up comedy to now crossing over and doing English only, so I will be talking about this. A lot is also happening in the news. It’s an election year, Shrien Dewani is in the country, Oscar Pistorius is in our lounges every day… there’s Nkandlagate and Thuli Madonsela… so there’s a lot to talk about.”
Held on a quarterly basis, the Durban Comedy Jam will be at Suncoast and features Joburg, Cape Town and locally-based professional comedians.
Goliath’s long list of achievements includes nominations as best newcomer and breakthrough act in the 2012 and last year’s SA Comic’s Choice Awards respectively. The comedian and actor has featured as the lead in a number of large television and radio ad campaigns.
He also plays Gatiep in the Safta nominated SABC 1 Sitcom Ses’ Top La. He’s performed comedy at renowned events like Blacks Only, Proudly Coloured Comedy Festival, Parkers, AWEdnesday Comedy Jam, LOL at Gold Reef City, Comic’s Choice Awards™ Winners Lap, The Box and more.
Goliath will be MC for a line-up that includes Chris Forrest, Jeremy Atkins, Loyiso Madinga, Felix Hlophe and Neville Pillay. The show is presented in partner- ship with eThekwini Municipality, Tsogo Sun and the Daily News.
• Durban Comedy Jam is on May 2 and 3 at Suncoast at 8pm. Tickets R150 from Computicket.