Laugh away your lockdown and Covid-19 blues

You won’t be able to laugh hysterically in a crowded comedy club anytime soon, but Showmax is filling that gap with a smorgasbord of local comedians doing what they do best to help put a smile on your dial.

Here are 5 of the top 10 most popular local comedians currently on Showmax:

Dillan Oliphant – In a Lonely Place

With his coy grin and wry, understated humour, Eldorado Park’s very own Dillan Oliphant gets you giggling while he quietly cuts to the heart of the matter, blindsiding you with some home-truths on township life, conflict resolution, looting, funerals, uncles, aunties and loneliness.

Jason Goliath – Manstruation: Surviving a Wife and Live at Parkers

Goliath presence, goliath persona, goliath energy – that’s Jason Goliath. Nominated for Best Newcomer in the 2012 Comics Choice Awards, Jason went on to scoop the Nando’s Best Friend of Comedy Award for three years running, from 2015 to 2017, with his co-owned entertainment company, Goliath & Goliath.

Schalk Bezuidenhout – Snorseun & Schalkie

Schalk Bezuidenhout won the 2013 Comics Choice Newcomer Award, was nominated as Breakthrough Act of the Year in 2014, and won the Intermediate Award in 2015. The Kempton Park-born Afrikaans comic has endeared himself to audiences across cultures and countries, with Skhumba calling him “the one white comedian loved by black people”.

Khanyisa Bunu – Comedy Special

One of the ‘first ladies’ of SA comedy, Eastern Cape-born comedian, actress, columnist and author Khanyisa Bunu tells it like it is with her trademark modesty and good, clean comedy (though she gets a little bit naughty here).

Tsitsi Chiumya – So Naive

Named the Comics Choice Best Newcomer in 2018, Tsitsi won the 2019 Next Level Award, and hosted last year’s Savanna Newcomer Showcase. He’s also earned a Safta for script-writing as part of the team behind Puppet Nation.

(Compiled by Hayden Horner)