Funnyman Skhumba Hlophe promises a burst of side-splitting laughter and hilarious fun moments as he takes to the Market Theatre for the latest edition of “Skhumba’s Weekend Comedy Special” this Thursday night.
The multi-award-winning comedian and radio host says he’s thrilled to be performing at the theatre again this year after months of performing at pubs due to lockdown restrictions.
“I'm excited that I’m finally doing a show in a theatre because I’ve been doing shows at the clubs...you know people come to clubs for different reasons...but when you’re doing a show at the theatre you know for sure that people are there for comedy and that is what excites me most.
“And I’m looking forward to being on stage doing what I do best, making people laugh,” he says.
With a career spanning over 15 years, this witty, edgy and “authentic” comedian has become popular for his sold-out shows.
“I think I am one of the most authentic people you can ever come across. I say things that most people are always thinking yet scared to say but you always think about it and I'm fine.
“I'm the guy next door, and many South Africans resonate with my style of comedy. And the reason why I managed to stay relevant for all these years is that I’m funny,” says Hlophe.
He adds: “I am everything that people think I am. I’m not a closed book, so what you see is what you get and that’s why people love me.”
His comedy has extended to radio with his breakfast show on Kaya959 with Thomas and Skhumba, the show that tops the social trends daily with exciting topics, music and of course plenty of gags.
“It’s amazing to witness the success of the show, and for me whether it’s radio or stand up comedy...it all boils down to one thing, I don’t have a Plan B. Plan A says be your best self, be funny. I don’t have a degree to fall back on...I don’t have anything else, so I cannot afford to fail.
“What’s happening with Thomas and Skhumba and my comedy shows is me putting extra effort on Plan A because I don’t have plan B,” he says.
Asked if he knew he would be making jokes for a living, Hlophe said he was a comedian even before he discovered it himself.
“I got it when I was seven years old...I was making fun of my grandmother,” he said in between chuckles.
“I don’t recall what I said but I remember seeing something flying towards my face, and gogo saying ’uzoyeka uk’phapha’,” he says.
He insists this was no act of abuse from “gogo”, who sadly passed away earlier this year, but the level of comedy at the time, which to date still manages to evoke certain emotions in people.
This show is another performance reminder where comedy finds a home in the theatre. Skhumba’s journey in comedy forms part of the Market Theatre’s 45th anniversary, celebrating over four decades of serving a diverse audience.
His show aims to cater to a variety of audiences as the comedians will deliver their material in English, Xhosa, Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi and Afrikaans.
Catch “Skhumba’s Weekend Comedy Special” featuring some of Mzansi’s top comedians at the Market Theatre on Thursday, September 30, till Saturday, October 2. The show will run again on Thursday, October 7, until October 9, before embarking on a national tour.
New dates are yet to be announced.
Tickets are available at Webtickets for R200.