Review of some Cape Town Comedy Clubs

Posted on the October 11th, 2010 under Comedy Tips by Mum-z

Having moved down to Cape Town in May of 2009, I had the opportunity to perform at some of Cape Town’s best comedy clubs. I have done open, support, guest and headline spots, so I have a well-rounded understanding of the Cape Town comedy scene. I’m going to provide you all with some much needed Kaapse comedy intell. I have only reviewed the comedy clubs in Cape Town that I have actually performed at or watched live stand-up comedy.

C.O.M.E (Come On Monday Evening) – Zula Bar, Long Street
Every Monday, 8pm

OVERVIEW
Zula Bar has been running comedy nights now for close to 3 years and due to its convenient location, local brand notoriety and good food, it has become Long Street’s most popular comedy evening. Due to its age and popularity, Zula Bar has been able to attract some very prolific comedians including Stuart Taylor, Nik Rabinowitz, Trevor Noah, Loyiso Gola and many others.

AUDIENCE
Due to the fact that Zula bar is conveniently placed in very popular upper Long Street, it draws a lot of walk-in traffic, thus the audience is not a very consistent type of crowd but generally a mix of foreign backpackers and local entertainment seekers. For a comedian, the audience is a great place to try out new material and as an audience member it is a great night of casual entertainment.

AMBIENCE
The club is set up theatre-style (with seats in rows) and a few tables available for bookings. There is an elevated stage with a surface area of about 10m2 . There is no smoking area near the stage, so smokers are forced to watch comedy from outside or they just have to keep their addiction at bay. The DJ generally has a great selection of urban beats and after the comedy the venue transforms into a night club. The club has a similar feel to Cool Runnings Comedy Underground in Melville, Johannesburg.

VALUE FOR MONEY
Entrance is R40 and the venue usually hosts about 4-6 acts per night, so you really get value for money.

For bookings contact:

Naked Sushi (Bamboo) – Cape Royale, Greenpoint
Every Monday, 7pm

OVERVIEW
Naked Sushi has been running now for 9 weeks and seems to be going very strong. Due to its up-market location, it draws a more sophisticated and affluent crowd. It embraces a new concept of serving sushi on naked females (tastefully covered) with a line-up that includes 2 acts and host Paul Snodgrass. It is a new gig but due to its original concept, it is a much needed addition to the Cape Town comedy scene.

AUDIENCE
The audience is made up, predominantly of a white up-market crowd. As is typical of most affluent crowds, the audience has a greater appreciation for more intellectual humour although their expression of laughter is more understated and reserved.

AMBIENCE
The Bamboo Asian Fusion Restaurant is part of the Cape Royale, which is a five star luxury hotel, so the décor is tip-top. There is no dedicated DJ, so there is no consistency with the music. The naked, sushi-covered ladies does add a touch of decadence to the general atmosphere.

VALUE FOR MONEY
R95 gets you in and that entitles you to all the sushi you can eat. This is actually really good value for money if you are a fan of sushi. The comics that perform are headliners, so it really is great value for money.

Funny Bones (Purple Turtle) – Corner Shortmarket & Long Street, CBD, Every Tuesday, 8pm
OVERVIEW
Funny Bones has all the makings of a classic comedy club. There is an elevated 15m2 stage with a backdrop of red curtains. The audience is seated on candle lit tables. The whole venue is a smoking venue so it allows for everyone to watch the comedy from his or her table of choice. The line-up is a blend of 5-6 acts consisting local, international, up-and-coming and established acts.

AUDIENCE
As the line-up at the Purple Turtle is generally much larger than other Cape Town comedy clubs, the audience is generally made up of a people who are hungry for comedy and can endure two and a half hours of comedy.

AMBIENCE
The candle lit tables, combined with the red curtain backdrop on the stage create a very warm environment. The fact that the Purple Turtle is a smoking venue, creates a classic, almost 1950s burlesque-like smoky setting.

VALUE FOR MONEY
The drinks are very well priced, the food is great pub food and paying R40 to see about 5-6 comics in one evening (including headliners and support acts) is actually extremely cheap. The venue should actually be priced at R60-R70 pp.

Stardust Comedy Night (Stardust Restaurant) – Tygervalley (Specific Wednesdays)

OVERVIEW
This is a fantastic comedy show concept that was conceived by Anne Hirsch (winner of 2010 season of David Kau’s So You Think You’re Funny) Stardust represents exactly what the name implies – a show that is strewn with SA comedy stars. Only SA’s finest and most respected comedians have performed at this venue including Marc Lottering, Kurt Schoonraad, Anne Hirsch, Siv Ngesi, Mum-z, Shimmy Isaacs and Mel Miller.

AUDIENCE
Due to the fact that the attendees pay R95 for a line-up of strong comedy acts, the audience is generally made up of people who really appreciate live comedy. This audience is one of the best audiences to perform to as they are not afraid to express their laughter fully and they appreciate high quality entertainment (which the show always provides).

AMBIENCE
There is a lot of space in the venue (which is generally quite full). The food is fantastic. The crowd is made up of real comedy lovers. Although the stage is only elevated by about 30 centimeters, and there is a very close proximity to the audience, the show is still one of the best put together events in the Western Cape.

VALUE FOR MONEY
Paying R95 for a line-up of up to 5 headline acts is almost like comedy equilibrium. This price gives real value to the hard work that comedians do and it makes sure that audience members get top quality entertainment worth the entrance. This show is perfect value for money.

Comics At Work (Obz Café) – Observatory (Every Sunday)

OVERVIEW
The Obz Café Theatre is a great spot for stand-up comedy. Obz Café Restaurant and Theatre is an iconic feature of the bohemian suburb of Observatory.1. This event runs every Sunday (which is a very convenient time slot for comedy) and showcases mainly local acts. This event is run by Chris Steenkamp, a young comedian to the industry.

AUDIENCE
As it is situated in the Bohemian suburb of Observatory, the audience is very much appreciative of performing arts and live entertainment as a whole, so it is a great venue for any aspiring comic to perform at.

AMBIENCE
The Obz Café Theatre is hidden behind the Obz Café Restaurant., which is quite exciting because the comedy itself does not interrupt regular patrons of the restaurant on Sundays. The advantage of this separation in space means that the people who are dedicated to watching live comedy can be separate from regular patrons and thus the audience does not get diluted with un-interested members.

VALUE FOR MONEY
The show is priced at R30 for a line-up that can be up to 6 acts and R20 for students. This show is great value for money and is especially great for students.

1 http://www.obzcafe.co.za/