Page 20 - April - June 2023 Edition

COMEDY ROOTS

By Jonathon Wardley

We all need a good laugh from time to known standup comedians. If you go,
time. The challenges the world has you should be aware that the show is
faced over the last few years, delivered almost entirely in local
highlights this more than ever. It has language. Comics have tried
long been established that laughter performing in English, but the audience
can not only benefit an individual did not respond well. It is a high
mentally by stimulating the release of energy show, with a lot of visual
endorphins, but it can also help you performances that can bridge the
physically through the intake of more language barrier rather well. I tried
oxygen rich air as well as getting that Google translate, but it was little to no
heart pumping. It is not only humans help unfortunately, as the show was so
who laugh either. If you are lucky fast paced.
enough to visit Kibale National Park,
home to over 1,500 chimpanzees, you Comedy Black Friday is hosted by
may witness the phenomenon of them Okello Okello and started in 2019. It
laughing as they play and interact happens quarterly at the National
physically with each other. Gorillas Theatre. It has grown in popularity,
too! Did you know there are scientists and the venue is often packed.
who are paid to tickle animals for a Performances are almost entirely in
living, so they can record and study English, with a high-quality cast armed
the results. It is safe to say that with a rib-cracking blend of one-liners
laughter is a serious business. and observational comedy routines that
have consistently proved to be crowd
So, what do we do here in Uganda if pleasers. The event has become so
we want to enjoy a giggle work-out? popular that it has been mentioned a
It led me on a quest to infiltrate larger venue could be needed. Okello
Uganda’s comedy scene. Yes, you and his team responded creatively with
heard me correctly. Uganda has a ‘Silent Comedy.’ This involved issuing
comedy scene like any other country headphones to audience members so
on earth! Another scientifically proven they could enjoy the show from the
fact is that humans are thirty times comfort of the bar!
more likely to laugh, if they are in a
group (it seems laughter really is ARE COMEDY VENUES TIED ONLY
infectious) TO UGANDA‘S CAPITAL CITY?
I was happy to discover they were not.
Comedy Store Uganda is a weekly Laugh with Owakabi Comedy Show has
live stand-up comedy show that was operated for 4 years in Northern
created in 2016 by comedian Alex Uganda. It has steadily grown during
Muhangi. He has hosted the show this time, hosting some top African
since its inception. The show is comedy acts like Eric Omondi, Klint da
recorded on Wednesdays at UMA Drunk, Ann Kansime, Pablo, Emma
Multi-Purpose Hall, Lugogo, Kampala Napoleon, and Optional Allan among
and is aired Fridays on NTV Uganda. It others. Laugh With Owakabi
attracts a large crowd, and often has Comedy show is a weekly standup
popular local musicians performing comedy show that happens at Bomah
alongside some of Uganda’s better Hotel, Gulu.

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