By Anga-Anganda Bushwana
In Proudly Problematic, comedians Ayabonga Kene, Caramel Simba, and Ntobeko Ximba come together under the direction of Andy Colombo to present a truly memorable show. The three comedians all deliver short, hilarious sets in the 45-minute performance, sharing narratives of their lives. With a healthy dose of ‘woke-ness’, they talk about everything from their relationships to class dynamics.
The first thing you will notice when walking into the venue at Graham Hotel is the Chappies bubblegum on the chair, served as a little snack with some “did you know?” facts inside them. First to take the stage is Kene, who is also the youngest amongst the three comedians. Kene shares the different dynamics of his childhood growing up in the township of Gugulethu, Cape Town but attending a predominantly Afrikaans school in the suburbs and, to his surprise, becoming a head boy. “Are there any people from Cape Town here?” I put my hand up, and he shouts, “Awww Comrade!” Yep, that’s my homeboy.
“I was at an orgy this one time” is the first thing Simba says when he jumps on stage. The comedian is a proud father of two who goes into detail about the night his children were conceived. It’s an interesting yet witty 15 minutes of raunchy storytelling.
Ximba describes himself as the bourgeoisie one of the bunch – Ntobeko from Inanda, Kwazulu-Natal, now residing in Cape Town, where he learned to perfect his English. “I stay in Cape Town, yep, I’m paying for this accent,” he says. From Prince Charles’ jokes to Buffalos giving consent, he is sure to make you fall in love with dark humour.
There are a lot of good comedy shows on at this year’s Festival, and Proudly Problematic, with its straightforward approach to storytelling, might be one of the best.
