A thoroughly enjoying segment and night of
comedy - one certainly gets their money's worth with this show. (Review by
Verne Rowin Munsamy)
The quaint Seabrooke’s Theatre in Musgrave
is playing host to Jem Atkins this long weekend. I first stumbled upon the comic
stylings of Jem Atkins a few moons back when I was fortunate enough to run the
Catalina Theatre.
He exemplified a very morbid type of comedy which reflected
his state of mind at the time. Since then his style of stand-up comedy has
evolved, bringing us to the hilarious show and demeanour that we see today.
His latest offering, after 10 years in the
business is called Not Famous, a show
about not quitting when you're not ahead.
In his sets he recounts the trials and
tribulations he has faced personally and in the industry and establishes his
own unique style of comedy. He speaks of his travels and his fears, explains
why he's “not a fighter”, his sobriety and his attempt to “keep it real”. His
style traversed through improv comedy at one point and he dedicated a portion
of the show to this provocative segment. He dabbles in some poetry and then
explains why he has been single for three years, while convincing us that
chasing love is always better rewarded than chasing fame.
This comedian has come a long way since
being his own opening act when he first started, to opening for some of South
Africa's biggest headliners like Barry Hilton, to now headlining his own show.
In his unique exploration of comedy, Atkins
had Mo V and his 11 year old son Jaiden Atkins, open for him. Both of whom were
entertaining in their own rights. I particularly enjoyed Mo's take on the name
Muhammed and his personal trepidations about traveling as a young Muslim man.
Jaiden has very good comic timing for one so young and shows that the apple
doesn't fall far from the tree.
It is unusual for a stand-up comedy act to
have a set but as Atkins remarks, he is finding his own niche and style. It was
a thoroughly enjoying segment and night of comedy. One certainly gets their
money's worth with this show ...
There are two more performances of Not Famous – tonight and tomorrow (August
9 and 10) at 20h00 at Seabrooke’s Theatre, Durban High School (DHS) in
Musgrave. Bookings through 083 716 8761 or Quicket. - Verne Rowin Munsamy
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