(Hamish Kyd)
Professor Gopal and a School full of laughs. (Review by Priya
Dala)
A chilly winter night out at the Sibaya Casino iZulu Theatre
called for some fortification. Mine came in the form of a stand-up comedy show by
seasoned stage and screen performer, Hamish Kyd headlining a list of funny
characters.
Kyd, in his role as Professor Gopal as an intrepid Professor
of a school full of alumni he is most proud of, came on stage in the guise that
the audience think of him as a Professor who thinks the audience are his
students. In that, we were asked to play along, and this had a level of
interactive fun. Kyd then introduced his “Dux” students with funny
introductions, telling us something about the acts to follow.
First up came Neil
Govender, a new voice to stand-up comedy. Govender switched easily from
reflections about life as a boy from Umkomaas (South Coast of Durbs) and into
comedic routine about the current issues of the times. He was funny. For a
newbie, he certainly had no confidence issues and his timing with caricature was
reasonably placed, if not at times a little cliché on the joke aspect.
Nevertheless, Govender can, if he hones his routine a tad, become a funny voice
to join the many others we see on Durban’s stage.
Next up, my favourite came in the form of Warrick Frank,
taking on the hilarious avatar of Latrese, fashionista and gossip girl from
Wenties aka Wentworth. This routine was funny as it took you into a telephone
conversation that glamorous Pep Stores shopper Latrese has with her friend. In
this one side of the conversation, you learn all you need to know about
Latrese, and the type of girl she’s trying to portray. Frank had good comedic
timing, a keen eye for his style and made his routine funny without falling
into caricature.
Following act Charles Ash kept up the funny. The crowd it
seems enjoyed his brand of humour as one of Professor Gopal’s protégées. The
stand-up routine is not an easy feat; keeping an audience of so many types of
people laughing can be exhausting. Ash kept pace, he was current in his jokes
and thankfully did not fall into cliché and silliness.
And for the ladies, Prof Gopal brought us his female alumnus
in the form of Shika Budhoo. I have always enjoyed Budhoo’s style of
comedy. Her facial expressions sometimes say it all; she barely has to open her
mouth. She has a good sense of body language as a tool to get the funny bone
tickled. And she talks for us ladies ... what more can one ask for?
Professor Gopal clearly runs a good school there. Maybe he
will take me on a student ... Hmmm...?
Prof. Gopal’s Stand up
Comedy Show ran for four days at iZulu Theatre, Sibaya, and no doubt we
will see him bringing the show back later. The age restriction is 13 but I do
think this needs to be higher. Priya
Dala
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