Asians, blacks, whites “roasted” at Shoko comedy night

 As DJ Rax pumped up the volume on the turntables guests continued to arrive, and before long every seat, bar the front row, was taken.
By the time MC Q the Boss introduced a live performance of Zambezi News, with Jerome Weathers aka Comrade Fatso and Mandape Mandape aka Outspoken delivering a state of the nation address, the front row of seats was occupied, and every patch of grass in the open-air theatre was taken up.
Zambezi News, directed by Andrew Whaley, delivered a witty take on life in Zimbabwe, as polished newscasters broadcast reports on gender, arts, sports, corruption, land reform, democracy and elections.
Live broadcasts were interspersed with big screen projections showing motorists interacting with traffic police at road blocks, or reconstructed documentary footage recording the demise of colonialism, as workers put down their badzas and briefly sipped cocktails on the patio, before their new masters sent them back to the fields.
Some Zimbos may remember Andrew Whaley announcing similar news reports in the 70s at Gallery Delta, in Strachan’s Buildings in Manica Road (now Robert Mugabe Road). Behind a cut out cardboard frame resembling a TV, Whaley delivered sit-reps on the war in progress, and exhorted the nation in the unmistakeable flat vowels of the Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith. 
While the South African star attraction comic John Vlismas lurked behind the banana trees, chatting to friends, the multi-talented comic Carl Joshua Ncube (CJN) took the stage. Elegant in formal attire with black bow tie, CJN delivered his usual raunchy humour with an aura of international sophistication.
He described how a typical Zimbo, faced with power cuts, heats water for a bucket bath on an outside fire. He decides to roast some steak on the same fire, thus saving energy and resources. When a curious colleague visits and questions the process, CJN saves face, insisting he is having a braai and is boiling water for a marinade for the steak!
Next on, the diminutive Clive Chigubu, who hails from Barbourfields in Bulawayo, skipped across the stage like a breath of fresh air, diamond earrings flashing and sneakers tripping the light fantastic. Every family keeps at least two chigubus in the garage to carry fuel, so the name sounds familiar. But Clive confided to the audience that to create extra gravity he frequently introduces himself as Clive Container, or Clive Gallon. Having delivered a session of wickedly entertaining township humour, Chigubu relinquished the stage to the archfiend of comedy, John Vlismas.
You would probably cross to the other side of the road if you encountered this unusual looking man on your way to the shops. Facial piercings, straggly black hair and drainpipe trousers and tee shirt to match, Vlismas has a face only a mother could love. But early on into his repertoire, the audience became aware of his sharp intellect, ready wit and grasp of politics and accepted that everyone, whether black, white or Asian, was in for a rocky ride. Encounters with old people, Vlismas’ special dislike, were also given a roasting.
After going to Chef school, becoming a stand up comic is probably the next most popular career option for Zimbos, whether for men or women. The applause and high spirits following Shoko Comedy Night were probably indicators that CJN’s Shoko workshop on how to tell jokes and be a successful stand up comic will have been over subscribed.