GALLERY: Coffee with comedian Lihle Msimang
She began trying her hand at comedy in 2011, while finishing a degree in scriptwriting and drama at AFDA, the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance.
COMEDIAN Lihle Msimang, a resident of Mondeor, recently sat down with Comaro CHRONICLE to share some of her story with our readers. Lihle has been a professional comedian since 2015.
She began trying her hand at comedy in 2011, while finishing a degree in scriptwriting and drama at AFDA, the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance.
In 2011 she won the Nando’s Comedy Showdown competition, but mainly focused on completing her degree.
She started off doing comedy in what she refers to as “open spots”, which are five-minute auditions at comedy spots, such as Parker’s Comedy Club in Montecasino, in 2015. From there her career grew from strength to strength.
Lihle tries to perform every day, and her dedicated husband, Isang Msimang, acts as her manager.
From performing at Pompies in Melville, Kitcheners in Braamfontein, Alice and 5th in Sandton, the Melville Comedy Club and Parker’s Comedy Club, she has a pretty busy schedule. In her free time she is a freelance scriptwriter for various television series.
In her shows Lihle concentrates on daily life experiences.
She tends to avoid politics and, instead, focuses on similar experiences that people share in their day-to-day living in South Africa.
After having performed at many comedy shows over the years she still gets nervous, but quickly gets a hold over her nerves when there is laughter from the crowd.
“I absolutely love performing. I never want to retire when I see people laugh at my jokes, and I dream of becoming an international artist,” she added.
Lihle draws her inspiration from Tiffany Haddish and Wanda Sykes, who are both successful American comedians, actresses and writers.
“I believe these two women have changed the comedy scene and opened doors for many women in the industry,” she said.
Furthermore, she is inspired by her 19-month-old son, who she says is fearless and a fast-developing child.
“If a boy that young can be so brave, what is stopping me, a grown woman who is 30?” she added.
Lihle refers herself as being in the dirty 30s.
“We used to be the young ones at family get-togethers, but now we are the drunken aunties and uncles,” she laughed.
She also said without the support of her husband she wouldn’t have made it this far.
“My head can be a little all over the place, but he keeps me grounded and on schedule.”
The couple are excited about Lihle’s upcoming shows taking her all across South Africa. She would love to see more women on the comedy scene and recounts her journey as being one which required a lot of perseverance and energy.
“My advice to other comedians out there is never stop writing. Always come up with new ideas. And remember, it takes time to call anything a career and in this industry, you need a lot of passion and patience!”
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