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The need to laugh during pandemic sparks new interest in comedy

Success of festival, workshops point to funnier future

This festival’s aim was to not only beacon rays of a more recognisable reality for the audience, but also to be a platform for training the participants who were workshopped.
This festival’s aim was to not only beacon rays of a more recognisable reality for the audience, but also to be a platform for training the participants who were workshopped.
Image: Supplied

In the wake of a life-altering pandemic that douses negativity from a heavy dark cloud currently on its third wave in SA, doses of laughter have never been a more requisite remedy.

This is evidenced by the rise of so-called meme lords and the daily viral funny videos circulated wildly widely on social media platforms.

In light of this terror-striking, unfamiliar reality that has befallen the whole world, the Sustaining Theatre and Dance (STAND) Foundation partnered with the City of Johannesburg hosted the very first Jozi Satire & Comedy Fest over the past weekend in hybrid form.

The festival, which was a tremendous success, began on Friday June 25 and ended on Sunday, was hosted at the Tin Town Theatre, the National School of Arts in Johannesburg, as well as the TX Theatre in Tembisa.

All the venues were inundated by a sizable pool of talented, aspirant comics who came eager to learn more about the craft from those who are seasoned in the game. It is this eagerness of the participants that led to the stretching of the program, amplifying the magnitude of its impact through an additional mentorship program post the festival.

This festival’s aim was to not only beacon rays of a more recognisable reality for the audience, but also to be a platform for training the participants who were workshopped. They were equipped with tools for various comedy genres such as clown and mime, satire and sketch creation as well as stand-up and characterization in workshops.

Through the upcoming mentorship programme, seven mentees who were chosen from the Youth Day competition for pre-festival workshops, will be given room to develop their own concepts with additional support.

Spearheaded by one of the main mentors during the pre-festival workshops, stand-up comedian and comedy writer, Sophie Joans, the mentorship will afford the young comics a peek into the industry and help them in the development of their own work.

In these sessions which will be held virtually, Joans will also be answering the mentees’ questions and equipping them for the industry in the context of the Covid-19 climate. Through the program, mentees will be assisted in learning to adjust the use of their talent with lessons on versatility and improvisation, in addition to the other skills they will be honing and acquiring.

These will be essential for such times as we live in.

Speaking on the pre-festival workshops and the mentorship program, Sophie had this to say; “The program was so inspiring to see; new voices telling their stories in hilarious ways. South Africans are inherently a deeply funny people. Trevor Noah's success is evidence of that. There is so much enthusiastic young talent out there - who don't know exactly where to start, but that is exactly what they want to do.”

The mentorship program seeks to fuel that enthusiasm and give the mentees a scope into the comedy industry. This relationship will give them entry point access to the tricks of the trade, helping them with the essential building blocks for successful careers in their craft. Some of the mentees have been practising since as far back as 2013, and this program promises to be of great benefit to them.

For more information about STAND Foundation and their work visit www.standfoundation.org.za or their Facebook page.

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