Carl Joshua Ncube launches comedy nights

One of the country’s top stand up comedians Carl Joshua Ncube (pictured) together with Q and Michael Kudakwashe  have launched comedy nights in which they will tour the whole country and neighbouring countries in a move aimed at exploring new audiences for the art genre which is relatively new in Zimbabwe. The trio who are coming from a “successful” tour of South Africa kicked off the comedy nights in Gweru where they performed to a full house.

Ncube, who is the coordinator of the comedy nights, says the tour will see them touring towns such as Victoria Falls, Masvingo, Kadoma, Chegutu, Kwekwe among others in a move aimed at getting new audiences as well as roping in the corporate world.

“The initiative is to build comedy around Zimbabwe and also explore comedy outside and try to see how Zimbabwean comedy can be received outside. We have just returned from a successful tour of South Africa which really asserts my initial assumption that Zimbabwean comedy is appreciated outside,

“What we are trying to do is to push a lot of stakeholders to come in and support the genre because at the moment stand-up comedy is self sponsored. Sponsors are not coming on board to come and appreciate what’s going on but the South Africans out there are appreciating what we are doing,” he said.

The stand-up comic added that there is need for government to endorse comedy by inviting comedians to state functions in the same way music, poetry and other arts genres have been supported by the state.

He said, “Going forward I think government should also play a role in promoting the industry by endorsing us through inviting us to national functions such as galas. Right now it is only musicians and poets who prominently feature at these events and have all the exposure,

“I performed at Bona’s (Mugabe -Chikore) wedding which is a good endorsement for me and comedy in general. If the government accepts us and invites us to launches and galas then it’s a big push. Government needs to endorse the fact that it is alright for Zimbabweans to make fun of themselves. At the moment some people are afraid because they do not know if it is fine to laugh at certain things so at a government level we need to start to be invited to perfom at much bigger functions.”