The Jokers: A better laugh for all

A superficial look at the local comedy scene would lead many to believe that only politics is funny.

Between them, Trevor Noah, Chester Missing and Loyiso Gola have enough Jacob Zuma jokes to fill the pages of Zapiro's next book.

A slightly more studied gaze at the comedy scene paints a different picture.

Skhumba Hlope, a comedy star on the rise, said: "'Personally I don't think there's anything funny about politics, except for the fact that never, ever in our lives have we heard anything from the first ladies, all six of them."

It's a sentiment shared, to varying degrees, by the five comedians - Hlope, Robbie Collins, Lazola Gola, Mojak Lehoko and Richelieu Beanouir - sitting around a table wreathed in smoke at Acoustic Cafe in Honeydew, Johannesburg, on Wednesday night.

Said Collins: "There are dudes who can do politics and be very funny, but I prefer to do observational stuff and things about my experiences. I speak about what I know because the minute you're talking about stuff you don't really know about, the audience can smell it."

Just as our country is diverse, so, too, is our comedy.

Local comedy legend John Vlismas said yesterday: "I have seen comedy go from being a very white male-biased art form (audience and performer) to a truly representative one.

"Comedy has also changed from being a series of scenarios that reinforce stereotypes into a much more globally interesting collection of scenarios that break moulds. I don't think there is much new under the sun, but how we dress it can seem totally fresh."

Hlope's 15-minute set on Wednesday night revolved almost entirely around the ridiculous steps he has taken to cover his tracks when cheating on his girlfriend, and had members of the audience choking on the viscous fumes of their hookah pipes.

"I think [cheating] is one aspect of being a human that affects us every day. I knew I could get love for it because it's relatable," he said.

Of course, one man's joke is another's insult. People can roar with laughter when another religion is mocked, but become furious if their own religion is targeted.

Said Vlismas: "One of humanity's greatest creations is hypocrisy. While the misfortune of others is a source of great relief, we find our own sacred."

But most comics are against censorship. "The one thing I like about Lazola [Gola] is that he's going to say whatever he wants to say in his set. He doesn't care what type of audience is in the room. If he wants to talk about s**tting he's going to do it," said Hlope

Collins said: "There is no line. You can talk about whatever you want as long as you know what you're doing. Tonight we made jokes about Gaza and people crying at funerals."

Politics has not yet nationalised comedy, and if you go to a comedy bar at 8.30pm during the week , chances are you will not need to brush up on your current affairs to have a good laugh.

• The Comic's Choice Awards take place on August 2 at The Teatro at Montecasino. For more info www.comicschoice.co.za