East London comedy enthusiasts are in for a special performance this week: Cape Town magician-turned-comedian Stuart Taylor is set to entertain at this month’s Comedy Night EC at Wiseguys Pub and Grill on Wednesday.
Rekindling his magic skills with a stand-up comedy performance, Taylor will be joining established stand-up comedian Mel Jones and rising Eastern Cape star Soso Sigcau, giving East Londoners a taste of his new and improved magic-comedy blend.
“I did away with the magic for a while and focused purely on stand-up because it’s stronger, but I’m actually in the process of trying to reconcile the two and reincorporate magic into my shows.
“East London might just be the first to see it,” said Taylor.
Writing, producing and performing several one-man shows, including Techni-Coloured, Learner Husband and Money’s Too Tight to Mention, Taylor has scooped various accolades with a performance career spanning over 25 years.
From the Ovation Award and Overall Best Comedy award at the National Arts Festival, as well as the Show Time Award for best solo performance, to writing a bestselling comedy book, Learner Husband – A Handy Guide for Avoiding Collisions with your Wife’, Taylor has gained well deserved stardom on the South African comedy scene.
While his one-man shows are famed, Comedy Night EC fans can expect a once-off performance. “A lot of thought goes into what I do, but people like to laugh at their own situations so I try to play it by ear and find something my audience can connect to. It’s a mix of my one-man shows, new takes on old ideas and something about the crazy country,” said Taylor.
Taylor said he was looking forward to sharing the East London stage with fellow Capetonian Mel Jones.
“I’ve worked with Mel many times and we like to run our shows on an “anything can happen” basis, giving audiences a once-off experience,” said Taylor.
Taking his hat off to Comedy Night founder and organiser Sheree O’Brien, Taylor praised the hard work that went into bringing top-class performers to the Eastern Cape.
“They are hustling hard to support voices from South Africa and build the industry in the province for amazing local voices,” said Taylor.
“As usual, we only bring the best in stand-up comedy, so it’s going to be a show not to be missed,” said O’Brien.
Tickets are R120 per person and can be purchased at www.quicket.co.za or booked via WhatsApp on 072-107-0554. Doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 8pm...