Stiff competition at Soul Food Comedy auditions
Dumisani Ncube | Tuesday March 3, 2015 18:00
Renowned comedians battled it out with new comedians for a spot in the ten. The auditions were held at Thapong Visual Arts Centre.
The line-up featured well-known comedians including, Charles Manase, Umbambi ‘Bambino’ Ndiwenyu and the current reigning champion of the previous Soul Food Comedy show, Tulani Tau.
Comedians tackled different issues with some creatively poking fun into local politics, and other topics, which included, social and environmental.
The highlight of the auditions was the female comedian, Olobeng ‘Nigma’ Tsiako, who rocked the stage wearing black martial arts attire with a white belt.
Before introducing herself she pointed at one of the participants and said, “you see that dark guy over there, yes him if he was to put his arms around my waist I would automatically have a black belt.”
She moved on to another joke leaving the judges and everyone in stitches.
Nigma oozed with confidence despite the fact that she is the first woman to participate in Soul Food Comedy auditions.
She spoke about how creative and obsessive women are to the extent that they liken the food they cook to their hairstyles such as carrots, mushrooms and the famous beetroot whereby one dyes their hair into a maroon color.
Rookie Katlo ‘K- Lo’ Lekgowe left the audience asking for more after his two minute audition set, the comedian roasted Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe talking about his recent fall, which made rounds in social networks across Africa.
“The time when Mugabe dived on the red carpet his wife celebrated thinking that he has gone so she can succeed him only to find out that he had just missed a step and dived to the floor,” the aspiring comic said.
The comedian delivered his jokes both in the vernacular and English.
Kose ‘Onza’ Kenosi and Leg Usty are some of the new faces that participated at the auditions; they showed some potential and strength of qualifying for the next rounds.
The top 10 finalists will be announced this coming week and they will battle it out in April during the knock out rounds at a venue yet to be announced.
The finals will be held in May, with a surprise artist featuring as the roast.
Soul Food Comedy promoter, Karabo Musa, who was also part of the judging panel, said the new crop of talent impressed her.
They have new materials and ideas, this shows some growth in local comedy,” she said. Musa was also so impressed by Nigma’s performance she said that it would give more women courage to come forward and participate in stand-up comedy shows.