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Comedy fest kicks off in CT
29/08/2007 14:01 - (SA)
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| SA stand-up comedian David Newton will join the line-up for the Cape Town International Comedy Festival. (Photo supplied) |
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Cape Town - Africa's biggest comedy event is kicking off in the Mother City on the 3rd of September.
The 11th Cape Town International Comedy Festival will run until the 23 September and cater for everyone's taste with seven separate programmes.
This year's line-up of top stand-up comedians hail from the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Australia and will be joined by South Africa's bright new comedy stars including David Newton, Riaad Moosa, Nik Rabinowitz, Dowwe Dolla, Michael Naicker and the celebrated Joe Barber duo of Oscar Petersen and David Isaacs.
As in the past the festival mainstays of the Main Arena and Danger Zone will be presented at the Baxter Theatre, while an exciting new showcase of the best in local Afrikaans comedy, Bek-Lash, makes its debut at the Artscape Theatre.
Bek-Lash incorporates the talents of Tobie Cronje, Dowwe Dolla, Joey Rasdien, Marion Holm, Martin Jonas, Emo Adams, the Joe Barber duo and Steve Best - an acclaimed British comedian, renowned for his physical comedy.
Directed by award-winning Lara Bye, Bek-Lash takes the form of a show more akin to vaudeville or cabaret and will be hosted by popular musical funny-man, Pedro Kruger.
The Main Arena programme of stand-up comedy will be hosted by celebrated British comedian Alistair Barrie who will introduce Cape Town audiences to Australian Carl Barron, Canadian Laurie Elliott and American Tom Clark.
Festival favourite
They will be joined by SA's leading funny-men Nik Rabinowitz, David Newton and Riaad Moosa.
A longstanding festival favourite, the Danger Zone offers comedy for more adventurous audiences who like a more edgy approach to humour.
This year sees the return of UK-based Australian funny-man Jim Jefferies who is considered one of the fastest-rising stars in comedy and appeared at the 2005 Cape Town International Comedy Festival.
He features alongside fellow-Australian Steve Hughes, American comic Bert Kreischer and Canadian Terry Clement.
Danger Zone also features South Africa's Kevin Perkins, as well as Perkins' irreverent alter ego, Michael Naicker, who is well-known throughout South Africa as the straight-talking, hard-hitting "common man's super hero".
An innovative addition to this year's programme is the inclusion of a mini-film festival, Comedy Shorts, featuring the world's best comedy short films at the Labia Theatre.
Co-presented with Just For Laughs, Canada's biggest comedy festival, Comedy Shorts comprises two programmes, Funny Shorts and Filthy Shorts.
Alternative humour
In the same vein as the Main Arena programme, Funny Shorts features the best mainstream short films from Just For Laughs' 2007 programme, while Filthy Shorts comprises an eclectic mix of alternative humour from the world's wackiest film-makers.
This year the festival once again presents a number of zany street performers who will be amusing unsuspecting Capetonians as part of the Street Comedy Festival which showcases the outstanding comedic talents of street entertainers from the capitals of the world.
Audiences who wish to sample a smorgasbord of the most popular acts from all the shows will be able to either go to The Late Show at the Bang Bang Club on Wednesday nights, or attend the Best of the Fest at the Baxter Theatre every Sunday evening during the festival.
Visit www.comedyfestival.co.za to see a full line-up and the schedule of the different shows. Bookings at Computicket.
- News24
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