Theatre legend Phillip Dikotla performed his comedy for the first time in Cape Town, as part of his tour, Phillip Dikotla LIVE (HERE) – a Christmas Holiday Special. The Cape Town shows were at the Homecoming Centre (ex Fugard) in District Six, from December 12-14, 2024.
The show was beautifully staged in the intimate Avalon (the upstairs studio theatre) with striking lighting (see pics). Pule Welch Prince “the mayor’ friend” Mbaya and Kaashief Stellenboom were also on the bill with Prince as host. The show was produced by Dikotla’s company, Dikotla Originals presenting Big Comedy Live which is committed to providing a platform for comedy and ”positioning South Africa as the ‘Mecca of Comedy’ in Africa” [See interview: https://thecaperobyn.co.za/interview-phillip-dikotla-in-my-comedy-laughter-symbolises-triumph/]
It was my first time seeing Dikotla in comedy mode. I know his work from a theatre context. He was awarded a Fleur du Cap Theatre award for his play Skierlik which has become a contemporary classic. Comedy is his first passion, he says and his work as an artist is grounded in storytelling. Irrespective of the genre, storytelling is core to what he does.
As evidenced from his show on Saturday night (December 14, 2024) in the Avalon, Dikotla draws from his theatrical craft in constructing his comedy, activating space at all times and engaging with the audience (but not by picking on anyone). On Saturday night, he shared his excitement for his first Christmas as a dad and mused that there is no internship for the role of becoming a first time parent and the emotional journey involved. Dikotla’s missives about being in therapy brought on peals of laughter. Loved that set. And don’t ask him about his “African” name. Please don’t. The audience was delighted by his set about being in Cape Town – so different to his home town in Johannesburg. He feels safe walking around at night in Cape Town. Within the mirth, he wryly points out that we “hide our poverty well in Cape Town”. True.
Watch these clips from the show https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkYpMpKW/ and https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMkYp5Hbb/ and note how through his writing, Dikotla transcends gag, with deep and hard hitting jabs. Yes, it is funny and we laugh but he is not there to merely reach for punch lines. “You hide your poverty so well” – that line with its discomfiting truth – elevates a set about a Jozi-ite in Cape Town to another level. There is no malice, nastiness in the delivery but it certainly hits a raw nerve. For me, a lot of stand up comedy is like fast-food. I enjoy it and then I go home and forget most of it. After Dikotla’s show, lines and images remained in my head. I watched the clips that I filmed, over and over again, intrigued by his emotionally charged storytelling stand up.
I liked the venue (Avalon) a lot – the theatrical space as a container for comedy – rather than a restaurant or pub – with people focused on their slap chips and beer. The theatrical setting, invites one to listen, focus and become immersed in the stories of the performers. I liked the care taken with the attention to production values – lighting, staging. A great deal of effort went into putting this show together and it showed in terms of the interesting bill of performers. This was the first Big Comedy Live event in Cape Town and Dikotla envisages many more iterations. I look forward to more. Check out his website for updates: www.phillipdikotla.live
✳ Phillip Dikotla LIVE (HERE) – a Christmas Holiday Special, December 14, 2024, Homecoming Centre, Cape Town. Pic: Robyn Cohen/TheCapeRobyn.
