Winter is Cape Town’s biggest season for comedy as the annual Jive Cape Town Funny Festival opens at its home at The Baxter Theatre from 6 June to 3 July 2022.
The City will light up with laughs as a host of local comics and international variety performers take to the Baxter stage in a nightly gala showcase of the best comedy and variety the country has to offer. Included in every show are globally recognised performers from the UK, Japan, Canada and South Africa.
After a COVID-enforced break of two long years, the Funny Festival returns with a stellar cast. The local comics include Cape Town’s own Carl Weber, Ismail Moses, Charlene Petersen, Gauteng’s Sifiso Nene and Tats Nkonzo, Japan’s Yosuke Ikeda, Canada’s super puppeteers, Cabaret Decadanse and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Graeme Mathews. The show is held together by South Africa’s foremost comic, actor and veteran master of ceremonies, Alan Committie.
“The City of Cape Town has been a proud supporter of the Cape Town Funny Festival for the last decade and it is exciting to see its return this year after a two-year Covid hiatus. Events like the Funny Festival are important to Cape Town, for bringing people together, for the development of creative talent and for putting our city on the global stage. We’re thrilled to welcome the many talented comics who will be on stage and we wish them all a wonderful time as they bring laughter to their audiences,” says Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Regarded as one of the top comedy projects in the country and certainly the longest running, it started way back in 1997 by Eddy Cassar, who dreamt of showcasing many new South African comics on one stage. The art form had been given a huge push by the advent of democracy and free speech. The project was an instant hit and still plays to capacity audiences nightly. It has become Cape Town’s Winter Comedic Tonic and a much anticipated project on the city’s busy event calendar.
Internationally, it has become known as a blue-chip comedy festival, as performers are royally treated and get to experience many of Cape Town’s tourist attractions like Table Mountain, Groot Constantia, the City Sightseeing bus, some of our nature reserves and the Aquila Private Game Reserve.
Niyaaz Hendriks, marketing head of Jive says. “All of us at Jive HQ are excited as usual for this year’s Funny Festival. Not everyone looks forward to Cape Town’s Winter, but if you have been to any of
the last 15 Festivals, you will know why this is such an exciting time of year for all of us and our customers.”
The international artists all comment on the way Capetonians laugh from their core and enjoy the evening. The performers, who play to packed houses night after night, leave the Funny Festival as ambassadors of the mother city and of The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival. The Festival is regarded as a “must-do” event amongst international artists.
Over the years, the Funny Festival has discovered developed and showcased new talent and now has created The Jive Funny Championships for the sole reason of uncovering new talent. The project, an initiative of the City of Cape Town and sponsored by MTN is held during the month of May at the Canal Walk Theatre and is organised by comedy entrepreneur, Yaaseen Barnes, himself a winner of the project in 2014. The winner gets to perform on the Funny Festival stage.
One of the unique selling points of the Funny Festival is its use of extraordinarily different variety acts. This year, three such acts are on the bill. Expect to be blown away by the visual feast dished up by super puppeteers Cabaret Decadanse from Montreal, Canada. Their short musical numbers are sensual, surprising and hilarious and will have you baying for more.
Street mime, Yosuke Ikeda’s clever routine to the music of The Beatles is a wonderful show opener, whilst Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, Graeme Mathews, with his huge comedic personality and great magic, will have the audience rolling in the aisles.
Add the genius and comedic insight of our local stars and The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival becomes a night to remember.
Tickets are available through webtickets.co.za and generous discounts are offered for group discounts of more than ten.
For more details and photos of the performers, follow the Funny Festival on www.funnyfestival.co.za or on Facebook or Instagram.
ENDS.
Eddy Cassar – 0824503151
eddy@eddycassarpr.co.za