Jeremiah Ndjoze
It normally takes an orgy of shows and a bevy of followers blowing up their phones for some comedians to believe that they have finally arrived.
But not for stand-up comedian Mark Karuahuua. For the 27-years-old comedy is still not a joke. Yes, despite having done it numerous times, leaving audiences in stitches begging for more, for the Fresh Prince of Okakarara, the idea of getting onstage in front of strangers, just one person and a spotlight, and talking until they crack up is new every time. “My previous two shows did well. We sold out two theatres and now we are working on the third show and it is a different experience all together. The idea is not to be predictable and one has to make sure that the material is fresh and relevant,” reflects Mark maintaining that in his field, constant evolvement is imperative.
And growth is what Mark is seemingly into this season, as he brings to the fore his third solo offering under the theme, Black and Adulting. But why black? “Because black folks are always up to something funny,” the comedian quips before adding, “on the real, I gave the show that title because I’m drawing a lot from my personal experiences and I am as black as they come.” The show will not only take you back to the time when you could not wait to grow your beard and pubic hair, only to despise such when they arrive, but will also look into the everyday challenges that an average black, young adult goes through on a day to day basis.
No disrespect to his peers in the field, and all the other foundational characters who shaped the earliest embodiments in local comedy, but with this gig, Mark has decided to tiptoe past these craftspeople to bring to the stage a performance that is uniquely him. “Eric, a relatively new but very funny comedian is going to open the show for us but the audiences should brace themselves for a couple of surprises that I do not want to divulge at the moment,” Mark adds. Elated by the fact that having done comedy for over six years now, among them two solo shows, Black and Adulting will be first of his shows to be captured on video. It remains to be seen whether this footage will be packaged into DVDs or broadcasted online. Be that as it may, he promises to eventually exit the stage and leave a lot of laughing folks in their wake come Friday, June 29.