DAVID KAU

100% Pure South African Hilarity! (Review by Shika Budhoo)

David Kau is in Durban for four nights at the Playhouse Drama this August 2010. Last night, I was extremely lucky to catch his opening night show of David Kau, I Should’ve Done These Jokes First. The show had a mind-blowing opening night, even though the auditorium was not filled to capacity, the Drama theatre was constantly filled with howls and loud cackles of laughter. Watching the show made for a great night out to relieve stress and let it all loose: expect your laughter to be hyena-like at times, that’s how funny this show is.

To get the crowd warmed up, opening the show with ‘amazement’, was local Durban magician, Mo Magic who had the audience captivated with his masterful illusions. Assuring the audience that what he does is not supernatural in anyway and that he doesn’t have a little tokoloshe or genie helping him, he started the ball rolling into his astonishing act where his superb skill and talent as a magician brought many exclamations of “haibo” from the audience. There were slight problems with his mic and he was sometimes inaudible, which I hope is just opening night glitches that I’m sure will be fixed for the rest of the run.

And then … David Kau! Simply put: He rocked the stage (and the audience) from his first word to his last! The comedy that he brings out of his interpretations of the current South African situation in all sectors of our country had the audience nodding in familiarity and laughing out loud. He picked on all, from the arts to economic to politics to education to sport to FIFA 2010 to familiar and everyday South Africanisms that we simply cannot ignore and most of the time has the potential to make us shake with laughter.

He has incredible connection with his audience. It was wonderful watching this comedian who spoke in a way that insisted you listen because he has such hilarious truth to his words. The shows I have attended recently in Durban tend to have been predominantly supported by one particular race or another, but on this opening night it was refreshing to see the show being supported by a multiracial audience who all seemed to enjoy it with equal delight. Some audience members literally fell off their chair clutching their stomachs laughing. This has got to be the best stand-up comedy show I’ve seen this year and you’ll be sorry if you miss it.

I urge you to go watch this show! David Kau is a truly informed talented comedian with great skill at making an audience scream with laughter. It is 100% local and 200% lekker!

David Kau, I Should’ve Done These Jokes First is running in the Playhouse Drama from August 25 to 28. Book at Computicket. -Shika Budhoo