Helen Herimbi
In the comedy world, Eugene Khoza (pictured) is kind of like a soldier. He stays low and keeps firing. His newest one-man show, Never Ready, which starts at Gold Reef City’s The Lyric Theatre tonight before it hits Pretoria, is proof.
In 2010, this stand-up comedian embarked on his first solo show journey with Khoz-A-Can. Then he followed that up with two one-man shows in one year: Even Me and Pardon Me in 2013. During that time, the funnyman made his into a household name, slowed his roll on ensemble shows, avoided any beef and laughed all the way to the bank when he became the face of one of South Africa’s four giant financial institutions.
All while remaining relevant as a young, black comedian speaking to and for other black people.
“I had a weird love affair with comedy,” he tells me. “When I did two one-man shows in one year, I wanted to challenge myself, to see how far I can take it. In 2014, I just wanted to take a break and live life. Comedy gave me what I need, but it’s not my master. I do it as an art, not as a way to seek a living.”
Khoza explains that he has a formula which compares comedy to sports. While talent can get you into the game, it’s the endorsements that propel you to longevity. Enter Nedbank, where Khoza appears as himself in various situations that advertise the bank’s services in TV, radio and print ads.
“With that formula, you want your endorsements to pay you as much as your art would so that you can take your time with your performances. Having other sources of income is a blessing and relieves the pressure of trying to hustle gigs. Nedbank is an endorsement instead of me just being a talking head,” he explains.
“I had a big say in the comedic direction and they had more respect of who I am as a person. I’m against being a talking head. Nike has a relationship with Lebron, but he doesn’t work for them, you know?”
But Khoza is done staying low for now. He’s firing rounds of heat back into the stand-up circuit.
Never Ready came about because “I’m never ready to do a show,” he confesses.
“I never sit with a pen and paper and write my shows. I’ve tried. It’s only when the theatre is booked and the tickets have been bought that I know I now have a show.”
But when I ask him for three things that anyone should always stay ready for in life, he doesn’t hesitate to answer.
“Disappointment, success and happiness,” he says confidently. “In my journey, I never thought I’d find success and happiness, but now I’m in a very good place because disappointments never stopped me from enjoying the success that I wanted.”
The staging of Never Ready marks Khoza’s 10th year in comedy. He claims he hasn’t thought about this: “Internally, I’ll celebrate 10 years of being blessed enough to not have to worry about where I’m going to sleep, what I’m going to eat or what I’m going to drive, but it’s too early to celebrate a decade in the industry because there’s still a lot to be done.”
I guess that’s another thing he was never ready for.
Eugene Khoza’s Never Ready is at The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City, tomorrow to Saturday. The show moves to Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria on August 27. Book at Computicket or the box office.