Comedian Ndumiso Lindi's #BoysDon'tCry comedy show back home to honour his dad

Not many people wear their emotions on their sleeve, but comedian Ndumiso Lindi is no ordinary entertainer.

The funny man is kicking off the year on a high with a comedy show to honour his late father. 

#BoysDontCry, set for February at the Guild Theatre in East London, is an expression of pain turned into art, and a celebration of a lost life.

“The way we deal with pain is to go on stage and talk about it, and I felt like I needed to honour my father in some way. He supported me with the choice of career that I chose and he was always there for me. What a better way to say goodbye than with a show,” he told TshisaLIVE.

The original title of that show was “Boys Don't Cry in July”, in remembrance of his father's death in that month. The comedian said the name of the show was not him taking a stance, but rather a play on words he used to hear growing up. 

“It's a metaphor because throughout my life I've done things to impress him, trying to get that 'I'm proud of you' or you do things to impress your parents: get good grades and all that.

“Then that person passes away ... that's the month that I broke down, and holding back tears just defeated me.”

This year marks five years since his father passed away, and the show will be on his birthday to honour his life. 

“Not to say that boys shouldn't cry — personally this was how I realised that I should let it loose, let it out of my body,

“As much as dads used to say; 'Boys don't cry,' I remember a few incidents when I broke down in front of the family and my siblings or uncle would tell me not to do that, my dad would be the first one to say let him do it.”

Ndumiso admits the show came from his therapist's suggestion that he go on stage and see if sharing his life's journey and experience with his father would change anything. 

“I want you to walk out there feeling enriched. Yes, the end game is to make people laugh through comedy but at the same time you are like; 'Oh that's not the same thing I've seen before'.

“For me to even take the whole thing of grieving and honouring somebody, for me personally that was a brave move because it's not an easy one. I was lucky to have a dad who was very liberal. Traditional and modern, if I can put it, in the same time, and he always pushed the thing of having your own opinion. All the teachings that he has given me, I express them with this show. Of course, it's not like a sad show.

“I just took the task of trying to make it a different format, instead of just getting on stage and tell jokes right to the end. I divided it into four parts: the intro, the young me, going into manhood/rite of passage, and then honouring my father. I even tell serious stories in-between, so I take people on a journey. One minute you are cracking up, the next you feel like crying.”