‘You can’t just call him, he could be chilling with Oprah,’ comic Robby Collins on his friend Trevor Noah’s fame

World famous Trevor Noah is still the same dude he was to his friends according to fellow comic and friend Robby Collins but despite this, one can’t simply pick up the phone and ring him because he could very well be sitting with Oprah.

“You can’t just be calling him, he could be hanging out with Oprah,” said Collins to The Citizen, jokingly but with a tinge of truth about how big the Noah brand has grown over the years.

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Noah friendship

Collins has toured with Noah in the US in the past and speaks with awe about how much he commands international audiences.

“He takes control of a crowd of thousands of Americans like he’s in Pretoria.”

“Watching him, I realised he’s not just ours, but the world’s,” said Collins, who first met Noah in 2009.

“I was still living in Durban, he was doing Day Walker” he said. “But he’s still the same cool guy, but comedians in general have to keep their feet on the ground.”

Collins is the reigning Comedian of the Year after being awarded the title at last year’s Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards and will later this month host the awards’ Newcomer Showcase.

The Showcase is a platform for up-and-coming comedians who will each have five minutes on stage to show the comedy industry what they’re made of, with the hope of building their careers and being nominated in the Savanna Newcomer Award Category.

“The Savanna Newcomers Showcase gives us, our partners in the industry and fans of SA comedy, the opportunity to see our latest local talent shine ahead of choosing the Savanna Newcomer of the Year at the prestigious Savanna Comics Choice Comedy Awards in April,” said Senior Brand Manager of Savanna Premium Cider Kayla Hendricks.

“This is a partnership that holds accountability for Savanna and its contributions to SA comedy – and a legacy we are so proud and so very excited to continue this year.”

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Platform for young comics

The Newcomer Showcase was introduced in 2013 by the awards and Collins has never featured on it because he was already in the industry at the time.

“It’s a great stepping stone for comedians. When it happens to you, your parents start to relax,” said Collins.

He said unlike other career paths, comedy and the arts can be difficult because it’s not like one goes to varsity, walks out with a degree and can look for a job.

“When you say you want to do comedy, it just sounds like you just want to hang out in pubs and drink.”

“You can work in the dark for a long time as a comedian…you’re just doing this thing you saw on tv once and hope you’ll get a big break,” said the 36 year-old Collins, who dropped out of school in Grade 11.

“I was a naughty kid that wanted to do stand-up.”

He said the country’s development since 1994 has had an impact on the growth of comedy in South Africa. 

“You couldn’t do stand-up as a person of colour prior 1994. Democracy levelled things out.”

He juxtaposes his career journey to that of today’s comics.

“I had to go to clubs when I started out. Nowadays you have comics who have 50,000 followers on social media and blow up there. That wasn’t the norm 16 years ago.”

Reflecting on his career, he spoke with a sense pride about how far he had come.

“Without sounding arrogant, I do feel very proud of myself. Comedy is a huge gamble. Receiving the award [Comedian of the Year] was great, getting that recognition from my peers.”

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