(Pic: Alyn Adams, returning home)There is a saying that the world is headed for the gutter when society takes comedians seriously and thinks politicians are a joke. Joburg Comedy Cartel – comprising Alyn Adams, Vittorio Leonardi, Shaun Wewege and Warren Robertson –begs not to be taken too seriously, but the members guarantee their jokes are funnier than those of politicians. And they very seldom wallow in the gutter to get their laughs – “which is more than you can say for the average vote-hound”, they quip.
Returning to his home town, Alyn Adams started in improvisational comedy with Durban’s Comedy Games before moving to Johannesburg where he worked with Johannesburg troupes like Comic Bytes and Natural Born Kidders. In 1996 and 1997, he performed in Durban, Johannesburg and Grahamstown with the smash-hit Durban Poison Comedy Roadshow (revived in 2006), and was also invited to work on the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival in Cape Town (1996/1997) and Durban (1997). In 1998 and 1999, he presented his solo 90-minute stand-up show, Rant Boy at theatres in Johannesburg, Durban and Grahamstown. It was subsequently nominated for a Vita Award. He writes a weekly column for KZN’s Sunday Tribune called Headspace.
Joburg Comedy Cartel features four comedians who avoid the tired clichés and stereotypes that make up so much of South African comedy – they won’t promise you a show with no penis jokes, but if any do sneak in, they’ll definitely be entirely original penis jokes!
Over the past decade and more, the members of Joburg Comedy Cartel have been delivering, according to various reviewers, “insightful, brilliant history, politics, or sociology lessons with a keen comedic side” and “the finest brand of social vivisection” (Alyn Adams), “sharp one-liners that usually rattle one after the other like comedy machine-gun fire” (Warren Robertson), “amongst the best material written in SA” (Vittorio Leonardi) and “original things in a really funny way” (Shaun Wewege).
They are, to be blunt, among the most edgy, clever, alternative minds on the South African comedy circuit, with no interest in overdone, hack subject matter. They’d rather bring cutting-edge intelligent comedy to crowds who like to think – and aren’t afraid of having their boundaries stretched a little – while still giving them a non-stop, roll-in-aisles, good old-fashioned laugh.
This is guaranteed to be one of the hottest stand-up events Durban has experienced in a long time, from four comedians you’ll be hearing about for ages to come.
Joburg Comedy Cartel will appear for three nights only at the Seabrooke’s Theatre, Durban High School, from October 21 to 23 at 19h30. Tickets R100 (student, pensioner and group booking discounts) booked at Computicket or available at the door. Alyn Adams can be contacted on 082 807 7285 or email: aadams@fhm.co.za