Q: How did you get into comedy? Was it always something that you wanted to pursue while growing up?
A: It wasn’t always something I wanted. I was studying drama at the University of Cape Town in 1996 – 1998 and to graduate in my final year I had to write a one-man show.
I wrote a show called The Rainbow Nation tour which included me impersonating Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and Mzwakhe Mbuli. After this I was booked for the Cape Town International Comedy Festival. This was October 1998 and I have been doing comedy ever since.
Q: In 18 years of cracking jokes, what motivates you to keep on doing what you do and coming up with new material?
A: I love comedy – the world can never get enough comedy or have too much. You look at South Africa alone and there’s 50 million people. I basically want to reach as many people in SA and in Africa as possible. There are people in our country alone that haven’t heard my comedy and I want to reach as many as possible. Think of comedy as a house – every new day there’s someone who needs a house, and those that have one already are already looking for another one or want a bigger one. Comedy is the same – there’s millions of people waiting to laugh.
Those that have already tasted it and laughed and came to comedy shows, keep coming back for more. I want to make as many human beings as possible laugh.
Q: Has there ever been a time you wished you hadn’t pursued comedy?
A: Never. Besides my family this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Q: Compared to when you started stand-up, is it easier or harder to get into the industry?
A: It’s not as hard now. When I started I was literally the only black comedian alongside Kagiso Lediga and we performed only to white crowds at corporate gigs, white comedy clubs and comedy festivals. I had to put up my own shows to get black people to come and watch stand-up comedy. Today it’s much easier to get into the comedy industry.
Q: With social media on the rise, does it have a negative or positive impact in your craft and the way that you reach people?
A: Social media has been good to me. It’s how I reach most of my fans, sell our shows and communicate directly with people that love what we do. If used correctly social media can change and has changed the comedy industry as well, and made us more independent.
Q: Who are some of your favourite local and international comedians?
A: Russell Peters, Chris Rock, Skhumba Hlophe, Kagiso Lediga, Riaad Moosa – too many to mention.
Q: Has anyone ever stolen your jokes and how did you take that?
A: Just move on and focus on writing new material.
Q: What do you think makes you unique from all the other comedians out there?
A:There are not two comedians in the world that are the same. As long as we’ve had different experiences in life one will always be unique. I talk about my work and life – no other comedian can get on stage and say they’re married to a half Greek-half Zulu woman, had a Greek wedding, a Catholic white wedding, and a traditional wedding, and has two naughty kids like mine. This will always make me different from everyone else. There can never be another me.
Q: In 2012 we saw you direct your first film, Taxi Ride. What other productions have you worked on and is film directing and producing your other talent?
A: I have also written, produced and directed the Taxi Ride series, The Room Divider, Shampoos Retirement Village, all for Mzansi Magic. I have just finished directing another movie called Mmamoriri and produced Silent Chase directed by Mmabatho Montsho which will be on Mzansi Magic in April this year. I love making people laugh and television and film is one of the ways one can do that.
Q: Do you see an end to your comedy days anytime soon?
A: I will do stand-up comedy for as long as God gives me a voice and I wake up every day to experience something new in life. I work for myself so there’s no one waiting to tell me to retire from their company.
Q: Apart from doing television production, what else do you do?
A: I manage and help other comedians with their careers, Skhumba being the main comedian I do that for at the moment. I’m always looking for new talent and more comedians, especially those who want to and have the talent to make people laugh in their mother tongue.
Q: Any words of encouragement for aspiring comedians out there?
A: Be original, perform as much as you can wherever you can – weddings, birthday parties, community shows, etc, someone else will see you and tell more people about you until you reach the people you need to take you further.
lCatch Kau and Skhumba Hlophe at The Venue@Hemingways this Friday at 7pm. Tickets cost R150 and are available at Computicket.
Comedy a labour of love for Kau
A: It wasn’t always something I wanted. I was studying drama at the University of Cape Town in 1996 – 1998 and to graduate in my final year I had to write a one-man show.
I wrote a show called The Rainbow Nation tour which included me impersonating Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and Mzwakhe Mbuli. After this I was booked for the Cape Town International Comedy Festival. This was October 1998 and I have been doing comedy ever since.
Q: In 18 years of cracking jokes, what motivates you to keep on doing what you do and coming up with new material?
A: I love comedy – the world can never get enough comedy or have too much. You look at South Africa alone and there’s 50 million people. I basically want to reach as many people in SA and in Africa as possible. There are people in our country alone that haven’t heard my comedy and I want to reach as many as possible. Think of comedy as a house – every new day there’s someone who needs a house, and those that have one already are already looking for another one or want a bigger one. Comedy is the same – there’s millions of people waiting to laugh.
Those that have already tasted it and laughed and came to comedy shows, keep coming back for more. I want to make as many human beings as possible laugh.
Q: Has there ever been a time you wished you hadn’t pursued comedy?
A: Never. Besides my family this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Q: Compared to when you started stand-up, is it easier or harder to get into the industry?
A: It’s not as hard now. When I started I was literally the only black comedian alongside Kagiso Lediga and we performed only to white crowds at corporate gigs, white comedy clubs and comedy festivals. I had to put up my own shows to get black people to come and watch stand-up comedy. Today it’s much easier to get into the comedy industry.
Q: With social media on the rise, does it have a negative or positive impact in your craft and the way that you reach people?
A: Social media has been good to me. It’s how I reach most of my fans, sell our shows and communicate directly with people that love what we do. If used correctly social media can change and has changed the comedy industry as well, and made us more independent.
Q: Who are some of your favourite local and international comedians?
A: Russell Peters, Chris Rock, Skhumba Hlophe, Kagiso Lediga, Riaad Moosa – too many to mention.
Q: Has anyone ever stolen your jokes and how did you take that?
A: Just move on and focus on writing new material.
Q: What do you think makes you unique from all the other comedians out there?
A:There are not two comedians in the world that are the same. As long as we’ve had different experiences in life one will always be unique. I talk about my work and life – no other comedian can get on stage and say they’re married to a half Greek-half Zulu woman, had a Greek wedding, a Catholic white wedding, and a traditional wedding, and has two naughty kids like mine. This will always make me different from everyone else. There can never be another me.
Q: In 2012 we saw you direct your first film, Taxi Ride. What other productions have you worked on and is film directing and producing your other talent?
A: I have also written, produced and directed the Taxi Ride series, The Room Divider, Shampoos Retirement Village, all for Mzansi Magic. I have just finished directing another movie called Mmamoriri and produced Silent Chase directed by Mmabatho Montsho which will be on Mzansi Magic in April this year. I love making people laugh and television and film is one of the ways one can do that.
Q: Do you see an end to your comedy days anytime soon?
A: I will do stand-up comedy for as long as God gives me a voice and I wake up every day to experience something new in life. I work for myself so there’s no one waiting to tell me to retire from their company.
Q: Apart from doing television production, what else do you do?
A: I manage and help other comedians with their careers, Skhumba being the main comedian I do that for at the moment. I’m always looking for new talent and more comedians, especially those who want to and have the talent to make people laugh in their mother tongue.
Q: Any words of encouragement for aspiring comedians out there?
A: Be original, perform as much as you can wherever you can – weddings, birthday parties, community shows, etc, someone else will see you and tell more people about you until you reach the people you need to take you further.
lCatch Kau and Skhumba Hlophe at The Venue@Hemingways this Friday at 7pm. Tickets cost R150 and are available at Computicket.
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