He thrives on finding the funny in ordinary South African life.
Funnyman behind the mic, Kurt Schoonraad. Picture Supplied
South Africans have a special talent. And no, it’s not just rugby and supporting the bokke.
Give us a pothole, a politician, a power cut or some other fresh bit of crazy and chances are someone has turned it into a meme before someone else snatches your cellphone.
Sometimes there’s not much else to do but laugh and comedian Kurt Schoonraad knows this better than most. Born in District Six and raised in Mitchells Plain, he thrives on finding the funny in ordinary South African life.
He’s done so going solo and sharing stages with international names including John Cleese, Russell Peters and Pauly Shore along the way.
His new one-man show Funny Side Up is about family, relationships, getting older, getting poorer, getting richer and the everyday chaos nobody warns you about when you’re a 25 year old GenZ.
Schoonraad reckons humour is something of a South African survival strategy. And when everything else fails, there’s always a joke to be made.
What is the thing about South Africans and that we turn everything into a funny meme or a joke?
We’ve lived through a lot of absurdity. South African reality can be so surreal that sometimes the only sensible response is, “Well… at least we can laugh.”
I also think that humour is a coping mechanism. Load-shedding, potholes, politics, crime, bureaucracy, petrol prices, if you can’t fix it, you might as well make a joke about it. South Africans are also incredibly observant. Give South Africa five minutes with a bizarre political statement, a dodgy municipal sign or an awkward celebrity interview and it’s all viral by lunchtime!
What is the meaning of life the universe and everything – but not according to Douglas Adams
The meaning of life? Honestly, I think it’s to leave the world slightly better than you found it and to have as many laughs as possible along the way.
Because nobody gets out alive, so you might as well enjoy the snacks. I think life is about people. The people you love, the people who love you, and the random people you meet who somehow become part of your story.
Also, if there is a meaning to life, I’m pretty sure it involves a dop, good friends, and not taking yourself too seriously.
What is the funny side up?
It’s basically my approach to life. You can look at life sunny-side up, scrambled, completely burnt… or you can just accept that sometimes the egg is going to hit the floor and make a joke about it.
For me, Funny Side Up is about finding the humour in everyday life, relationships, family, getting older, getting poorer, getting richer, getting fatter, getting fitter… basically everything nobody warned you about when you were 25. And it’s not about pretending everything is funny.
It’s about finding the funny even when everything isn’t. And honestly, if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re missing out on some of your best material. So I’d say Funny Side Up is less a comedy show and more a survival strategy.
What can audiences expect from the show?
Expect plenty of laughs, brutally honest stories, and a healthy amount of “Oh my God, that’s so true!” moments.
It’s personal, observational and unapologetically South African, the funny side of the stuff we all experience but don’t always admit to.
Basically, come for the comedy and leave wondering whether your life is actually funnier than you thought.
We have upcoming elections – Helen Zille’s online campaign is at times extremely funny – is she giving comedians a lot of material?
Oh, 100%. Helen Zille is basically the gift that keeps on giving to South African comedians.
Her social media has the energy of a woman who woke up one morning and thought, “You know what South Africa needs? More Helen.”
And I have to admire the confidence. Most politicians have a social media team. Helen appears to have an iPhone, Wi-Fi and absolutely no adult supervision.
if she keeps producing content like this, comedians are going to have to start paying her royalties.
Although knowing Zille, she’ll probably reply personally on X, correct our grammar, explain why we’re wrong and then somehow blame the ANC.
Have you ever done a skit and nobody laughed?
Oh yes. Every comedian has had that beautiful moment where you deliver what you genuinely believe is a brilliant joke… and are met with the sound of a fridge humming in the distance.
I definitely had audiences where I could feel the joke dying halfway through, and you just have to stand there and accept your fate. But I think people generally laugh with me because I’m prepared to make myself the punchline. If I’m going to take the piss out of everyone else, I’d better be willing to start with myself.
What is your definition of South African humour?
South African humour is resilience with a punchline. We’ve survived enough shit to know that if you can’t fix it, you might as well make it funny and preferably before Eskom switches the lights back on.
Kurt Schoonraad will be performing Funny Side Up on 11 September at The Capital Empire, 177 Empire Place, Sandhurst, Sandton. Tickets from R180 per person via Quicket.
