By Tanya Maswaure
“Remember, if you want to heal, you need to receive the trauma… so let us begin the trauma!” – Namaste Bae.
Rob van Vuuren, also known as Namaste Bae, blessed the audience with an incredibly memorable and fully immersive experience. Blessings and Kombucha is a show one cannot easily forget, and this is due to both his infectious energy and the perfect audience.
It is not common for an audience to be included in a review, but audience participation is an integral element of Blessings and Kombucha. There is no difference between the stage and where the audience sits as Rob van Vuuren works his way through both, making sure everyone is fully involved in the ‘healing’ process. Rob van Vuuren is not for the faint-hearted nor those who cherish their personal space, but one thing is for sure: he is seriously hilarious!
Namaste Bae is a self-proclaimed oracle of the Mother Scoby, and he is ripe and ready to cleanse anyone and everyone in his presence. Sometimes, this cleansing process includes physical contact that, with consent, Namaste Bae initiates with several audience members. As the guru works through the crowd and traumatises all present, his message delivery is incredibly hilarious, leaving everyone in attendance laughing at the floor.
The show begins and ends with a blessing as the crowd catches their breath. Rob van Vuuren delivers perfectly timed monologues that do not completely make sense if one pays attention. His speeches, or rather cleansing chants, are well-written and captivating; their rhythm and contextual delivery elevate them into superior jokes, much like the guru Namaste Bae himself.
If a show could be sold with a warning, Blessings and Kombucha would need one. An experience like no other, Rob van Vuuren is a physical comedy to the max. The guru ends the show with the comment, “Stay damaged so I can heal you again.” rest assured, those who attend will never laugh that hard again.
