Comedians create free show

Simuka Comedy, the brainchild of award-winning comedians Simba The Comic King and Victor “Doc Vikela” Mpofu, has come up with a free Tuesday night show at the Travel Plaza-based Gabys Restaurant.

Doc Vikela, who is hosting tonight’s show in the absence of Simba The Comic King who is currently holding gigs in South Africa, told the Daily News that the Tuesday night was part of efforts by the three-year-old Simuka to create new platforms for both established and rookie comics.

“It is a Simuka Comedy project, a new material comedy night where established and new comics come through and try out new comedy material,” said Doc Vikela.

“This comedy night — which we have dubbed Short Time Comedy Night — is meant to improve the rate of joke creation and also to fine tune new jokes before they can be commercialised.”

The Gokwe-born comedian is happy with the success the new show has registered since it was created a month ago.

“This is in pursuance with the need to create a comedy circuit where we have regular performance spaces and as it stands we are a month into the programme and it has been a huge success,” he added.

“It has provided a platform for talented upcoming comedians like Bhutisi, Ishy, Kadem, Charles and  Tatenda Mbudzi to experiment with jokes in a professional manner and on a professional stage.”

Doc Vikela added that despite the fact that comedy fans don’t pay anything to attend the show, the best part is its potential for surprise.

“Any established comic who is free can jump on stage and perform whenever they are free. The best part is people have to come and be surprised by exceptionally-talented new faces who are looking for opportunities to announce their arrival on the Zimbabwean comedy scene,” he said.

Simuka Stand Up Comedy, which has been a regular feature at the Book Café, is the country’s first club for comics. It was launched in 2011 and has overseen the emergence and rise of top comedians including Carl Joshua Ncube, Simba the Comic King, Doc Vikela, Michael Kudakwashe, Clive Chigubu, Q the Boss, Comrade Fatso and Ntando Moyo.