[GALLERY + VIDEOS]: Savanna Newcomer Showcase
MC’d by last year’s winner of the Savanna Comic of the Year Award, Skhumba Hlophe high fived the comics who killed it but had no qualms about throwing shade on those who didn’t.
WHAT do you get if you split 24 newcomer comedians into teams coached by six previous winners of the annual Savanna Newcomer Award? One damn funny show!
This year the build-up to the Savanna Newcomer Showcase took a different spin. The format was refreshed to give the newcomers a somewhat richer experience. Four weeks ago, the comedians were split into six teams and were added to one of six WhatsApp groups and were mentored by none other than Deep Fried Man, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Dillan Oliphant, Thabiso Mhlongo, Ebenhaezer Dibakwane and Yaaseen Barnes.
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With the aim of getting their crop of budding comics to peak performance on time for this year’s Savanna Newcomer Showcase, each ‘coach’ was on hand to help their newcomers with their delivery and to share a sense of camaraderie at the event itself on May 20.
Fast Forward to May 20 and the buzz at the Soweto Theatre was fantastic, with the industry, celebs and comedy-loving fans coming out to support them. Keeping in line with the sporting theme, the pre-party was a hit with cheerleaders, whistles and ball game activations while Kaya FM’s DJ Khenzero mixed classic sporting movie-themed tunes into his killer set.
Just before 5pm, the comedy kicked off and it was great to see so many female comedians in the mix this year. KZN’s Nonto Rubushe’s set was hilarious. She hit the stage dressed in yellow in the hope that dressing in Savanna’s iconic colour may increase her chances to win.
But the real show stealer was Jo’burg’s Cobus van Rensburg, who with Black Twitter and land reclaim jokes, got a standing ovation for his topical one-liners.
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The aim of the event is to give emerging comedians five minutes on stage so that they can show the industry, media and potential booking agents what they’re made of.
MC’d by last year’s winner of the Savanna Comic of the Year Award, Skhumba Hlophe high-fived the comics who killed it but had no qualms about throwing shade on those who didn’t. Totally hilarious, he set the bar and showed the newcomers exactly how it’s done.
Every year we see a set of newcomers come out onto the stage, yet every year the effect is different. From vernac to Afrikaans, to race, religion and weight, some of the material was well below the belt but most of it was a shining example of how far our industry has come. A special reflection on the content was recognising how so many of the newcomers wove Savanna into their sets, knowing that none of this would have been possible without the Savanna brand’s long-term support of grass-root comedy.
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The five nominees will be announced on July 11 and only one will walk away with the Waldo at this year’s Savanna Comics’ Choice Awards which takes place on September 8 at The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City.
There are limited tickets available to the public so get yours now: https://online.computicket.com/web/event/savanna_comics_choice_awards/1217308891/0/87054991
The Savanna Newcomer Showcase. In partnership with Savanna Premium Cider, Chatz Connect, Kaya FM 95.9, IOL and 1 Magic DStv Channel 101.
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