Award-winning comedian Warren Robertson is the man behind 'The Award Winning Podcast' — a hybrid stand-up comedy and podcast chat show that runs weekly at Rim & Rubber in Greenside, Johannesburg.
The show has featured Jason Goliath, Kagiso Lediga and Nina Hastie. Still to come are Simmi Areff, Deep Fried Man, Tumi Morake, Trevor Gumbi and John Vlismas.
Why an improvised podcast?
The idea was to do it live in front of an audience and make it entertaining for both them and the listeners. The stuff that goes on backstage is often funnier than the shows, so I wanted to drag the comics out and get them talking about ridiculous topics and about their lives simply to see where their minds would take us. The result has been incredible. I knew it would be entertaining, I just didn’t realise that people would tell me they like it more than stand-up.
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How does it work?
I do two interviews a week because it’s a live show. The podcast sections are only 20 to 25 minutes in general, after which the comedian does 15 minutes of stand-up. I open the show and host it. The show lasts two hours, with an interval.
What award are you going to win?
Best Podcast Ever Made Ever Award. Also Sexiest Podcast Host and some sort of Nobel Prize — chemistry, probably.
You’re halfway through the series — have you had to make adaptations?
I’ve introduced new first-date questions, and dropped a few that weren’t working, but the general concept has been strong from the start.
Who gave the most memorable moments?
Kagiso Lediga had some great stories about his time at the Cannes film festival. Chris Forrest’s story about the time the other comedians bought him a prostitute was weepingly funny, and Gilli Apter was hands-down the best at handling the first-date questions.
Do you cheat — give them an idea of where you’ll be going before they come on stage?
Not at all. The comedians know the formula and they know I’m going to bring up all the things they told me when they were a little drunk. It’s just them answering questions the best they can.
How can we get hold of the podcasts?
The first two podcasts, with Alfred Adriaan and Kagiso Lediga, are on WarrenRobertson.co.za and on iTunes and SoundCloud. From next week, one episode a week will be released every Friday.
LISTEN to The Award Winning Podcast with Kagiso Lediga
LISTEN to The Award Winning Podcast with Alfred Adriaan
• This article was originally published in The Times.
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