During my time in Cape Town, I’m hiking easy to moderate Table Mountain trails and enjoying the Mother City’s performing arts community. There are a variety of unique and outstanding live performances available.
Last night was my first visit to the Cape Town Comedy Club – a “dedicated comedy venue”. I had no idea what to expect, but knew the club was popular. I got lost while trying to find it. In daylight it would be easy, at night the V&A Waterfront’s maze of parking garages and roundabouts was confusing. I didn’t have a specific street address – the GPS got muddled and so did I. Now I know the club is simply across the street from Cape Town Ferris Wheel with its 360-degree views of Table Bay!
I arrived embarrassingly late to what appeared to be a full house. I was expecting a performance by Goliath and Goliath – an award-winning South African comedy group. Instead, four hilarious comedians performed:
- Mel Jones
- Glen Biderman-Pam
- Kristel Zweers
- Charles Tertiens
V&A Waterfront – Cape Town ETC _____________
Traveller.com voted Cape Town Comedy Club “one of the ten best comedy clubs in the world”.
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Their characterizations of Americans were scathing. I laughed hoping I didn’t share too many of the shameless traits they portrayed. With an extended visa I’ve traveled to South Africa frequently for several years. Today, being American is tricky. The few Americans encountered were subdued. My accent is a little skewed – something that happens when traveling in foreign countries for extended periods of time. People have asked if I’m Australian (?) or British.
The comedians weren’t the least bit stingy with their interpretations. Their witty word plays – Germans, Americans, Canadians, Dutch, Jews, fellow South African comedian Trevor Noah, whites in general, South African whites in particular, and South African cities, neighborhoods, and townships – were side-splitting. Some South African nuances were above my head. Having recently visited Berlin, their comedic characterizations of Germans were entertaining and especially funny :).
The audience was mostly South African with a few foreigners and tourists. I was one of two solo tables in the audience – something I’ve gotten used to in my travels but that doesn’t stop me from attending performances on my own.
Cape Town Comedy Club is part of the Pumphouse Restaurant & Bar. It’s in the historic Pumphouse Building with “soaring ceilings, original stone walls, and cozy tables spread out around a generous stage”. The building is where the “first dynamo was installed to illuminate Table Bay Harbour”.
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“The Pumphouse dates back to 1892 and is so named because it was used to pump water from Robinson Dry Dock.”
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Fugard Theatre – Wikimedia CommonsTomorrow I’m looking forward to attending another favorite Cape Town venue – Fugard Theatre. Their production of John Kani’s Kunene and The King, “two men in one show about 25 years of SA democracy”, plays through May 25.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening!