Cape Town’s winter comedic tonic, The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival returns to the Baxter Theatre from 5 June – 2 July for its 24th season. Started way back in 1997 by publicist and comedy lover Eddy Cassar, the Funny Festival has grown into the country’s oldest and largest comedy festival.
The project’s unique selling point is that it presents top local and international speciality acts alongside the country’s foremost comics in a gala showcase which has become known as a “great night out”. Popular with charities and corporates, the Festival offers generous discounts for group bookings.
Comedy is best enjoyed in groups where collective endorphins ensure that all and sundry enjoy what’s on offer. The variety acts keep the show exciting and different, earning the Funny Festival its reputation as a blue-chip festival on the global calendar. “I am amazed at our sphere of influence in this industry. We are internationally fondly spoken about and respected as one of the unique festivals in the world”, says festival founder Eddy Cassar.
Making their first appearance on the Funny Festival is Daredevil Chicken, a renowned street-performing duo out of San Francisco. The husband and wife team enjoy a full international order book, which makes new bookings like the Funny Festival difficult to acquire their services. They have appeared on all the top variety spectacular shows.
“I was fortunate to see them in Denmark last year”, says Eddy Cassar and “I was amazed that they found space in their order book to come to Cape Town”. “I learnt that the Cape Town Funny Festival has a great reputation with variety acts that perform on Cirque du Soleil, La Soiree, Majestique and other world famous spectaculars” says Cassar. “We have become a desirable Festival for international acts to tick off their bucket list which is hugely encouraging to see” says Cassar.
Joining the American street performers are local mentalist Larry Soffer, and musical guru and the reigning prince of entertainment Emo Adams, who never fails to bring the audience to its feet.
Larry Soffer rarely performs in local theatres and is better known to corporates and private parties. His skill and acumen have earned him the title of the best mentalist on the continent, in which he is well known.
Heading the comedians is Alan Committie, the award-winning actor and comic who has become the resident master of ceremonies for the last 13 years! Alan will introduce a riot of local comedians, such as Dalin Oliver, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Marc Lottering and Riaad Moosa.
The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival has over the last nine years developed a feeder competition, where aspirant comics present their talent in the hope of winning a coveted spot on the Funny Festival.
Presented by MTN, The Jive Funny Championships are held over the entire month of May, resulting in a final competition in late May. The winning act gets to perform on the country’s most important comedy stage, Jive Funny Festival.
Smiling and laughter are integral to our characteristics as human beings, and hence the Festival’s beneficiary is Operation Smile, which operates on children who are denied this simple ability. Operation Smile collects coins from the audience, which is used to pay for “cleft palate” operations.
The Funny Festival also introduced its signature Golf Day at the Rondebosch Golf Course a few years ago which raises funds for Heart FM’s 16 days for youth. The Golf Day takes place on Friday 9 June.
The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival has become part of the cultural fabric of the Mother City since its beginning in 1997. Cape Town is a comedic city and the Jive Cape Town Funny Festival reflects this. Bookings can be made through Webtickets and group bookings of over 99 can be made through Eddy on 0824503151 or carmen at carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za.