WINDHOEK– A comedian’s life might seem amusing and delightful but not many people know that being a comedian is more than just clowning.
Some local outspoken performers reveal to Time Out’s Selma Neshiko their hardships, making liveable salary through comedy and the real life of a Namibian comedian, not being a walk in the park. One of the top local stand-up comedians, Onesmus Upindi, better known as ‘Slick the Dick‘ who has been in the industry for decades, says as with any freelance job, their work requires passion, humour, energy and determination. “Being funny is essential but as a comedian you need to work, it’s like a day job, you need to be persistent and you have to perform and build yourself up so you can be worthy,” informs ‘Slick the Dick.
He adds that a comedian should not only be telling jokes but must be funny to maintain an audience. “You should at least generate one laugh for every 30 seconds and up rows every two minutes. I fell in love with stand-up comedy and I want to contribute to arts and entertainment in Namibia,” he says. Slick goes on that he first entered the stand-up business to generate credibility but he now charges a standard fee of N$150 per minute on stage. “I can’t say I have earned much four years ago. I use to perform for free; at times I even got a little fee. Now I don’t charge as an individual, I charge as a company. From time to time I’m asked to be on stage for 30 min and earn about N$4500, but yet again it all depends on the gigs. I want to get paid well so I end up living in a mansion, nevertheless I’m not in a rush, I still have so much to do to get there,” says he.
Comedian/actress, Weezil, who has been in the industry for about four years now, says her career’s turning point came in 2010 at the University of Namibia (Unam). “My journey started with my first stand-up on campus, I was just having fun but then people seriously started taking notice of my comedic talent,” says Weezil. Being a female comedian is not as easy as being a male comedian. “People don’t think women are naturally funny, they expect you to be like a guy. There are a lot of expectations. It’s difficult for a female to stand out and be original,” she says.
Weezil gets 15 to 23 gigs in a year, including corporate gigs but admits that comedy is the most challenging performing arts of all arts. “Comedy is hard to achieve. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of guide, skills and discipline. On the other hand I enjoy laughing and it’s simply an interesting way to express[self].
Like many other artists, comedians face a lot of challenges especially when it comes to filling a theatre with an audience. “People don’t feel comfortable paying to see a comedy show in Namibia. It’s difficult to convince people that comedy is just like any other arts, and that we need support to be out there,” she says.
Courage Gondo is another stand-up comedian who agrees with his fellow comedians on the challenges of a typical comedian in Namibia. “Namibia is still a developing country and people are not exposed to stand-up comedy. It’s hard to host a show every week in Windhoek because people always make excuses of why they cannot attend the show. But when a comedian like, for instance, ‘Trevor’ comes here, tickets for N$250 get sold out but they make excuses for a ticket that cost N$70. There is a lack of support among ourselves and among Namibian’s,” says Courage.
He adds that he does not earn enough through comedy but appreciates the little he gets. “I sometimes make between N$1000 to N$2000 per show. It’s not enough but it gets us through the day. I cry for support from fellow Namibians.” he appeals adding that doing comedy should not be a full time job but should rather be supplemented with another career.
According to one of the Godfathers of Namibia’s stand-up comedy, Lazarus Jacobs, one cannot live on a career as a comedian because the Namibian market is too small. Jacobs adds that Namibians are very supportive when it comes to stand-ups but local comedians need to step up their game. “People respond well to comedy that’s why most shows are sold out but local comedians need to work on material with universal appeal and not just Namibia specific,” he advises.