Johannesburg is getting ready for another night of high-stakes laughs as "CROWNED: The Comedy Shutdown – Reloaded" comes to the John Kani Theatre at the Market Theatre on Saturday, August 29.
Presented by the Market Theatre in partnership with EyeUnderM Productions and powered by the City of Johannesburg’s Arts Alive, the knockout comedy battle promises a bigger line-up and fresh talent competing for R20 000 as the overall winner.
Doors open at 6.30pm, with some of South Africa’s most established comedic voices going up against a new generation of performers in a series of knockout rounds.
The competition will be adjudicated by two respected figures in South African comedy: David Kau and Trevor Gumbi.
Kau is one of the country's most established stand-up comedians and a key figure in creating platforms that have helped launch and develop a generation of comedic talent.
Gumbi brings his own distinctive brand of sharp, socially conscious humour to the judging panel, backed by a career spanning stand-up, television and live entertainment, including appearances on Blacks Only, Comedy Central Live and at Oppikoppi.
With two seasoned comedy veterans deciding who advances, the road to the final is unlikely to be an easy one.
The Reloaded line-up features Mfazomhlophe, Jacques Pienaar, Snatcho, Dr Matthews, Nqobile Mahlangu, Sandile the Giraffe, Masibonge Mndende, Keketso Hutamo, KingSbuda, Neo, Timani X, Emilio Tobias, Aiden Ho and Nkukza Phiri.
The performers will battle it out for a place in the top four, as determined by the judges. From there, the finalists will face off for the R20,000 grand prize.
But the judges won't have the final say alone. The audience will also get a chance to influence the outcome through a live clapometer, helping determine who ultimately walks away as the CROWNED comedy champion.
Produced by EyeUnderM Productions, the team behind Mzansi Comedy Nights, together with Nomad Concepts, the event forms part of the Market Theatre’s 50th anniversary programme.
Beyond the comedy battle, the evening will also celebrate women during Women's Month through the Doek Challenge. Audience members are encouraged to arrive wearing their most stylish doek, with the in-venue activation set to crown the best doek of the night.
Prizes will be awarded to the winner, turning the celebration into a showcase of style, heritage and the stories carried through generations of women.
Co-hosts Celeste Ntuli and Pele Pele are set to bring the energy and star power required for a Reloaded edition that promises to live up to its name.
Ntuli, one of Mzansi's best-known stand-up comedians and television personalities, brings her trademark sharp and unapologetic wit to the evening. With decades of stage experience behind her, Ntuli is a natural choice to lead an event celebrating both comedy royalty and women's stories.
Siphelele “Pele Pele” Mchunu is a Soweto-born comedian, actor and Jozi FM breakfast host, who was named the 2019 Savanna Audience Choice Comedy Award recipient.
With established performers, rising stars, audience participation and a R20,000 winner-takes-all prize, "CROWNED: The Comedy Shutdown – Reloaded" is shaping up as more than just another comedy show.
It is a competitive celebration of South African comedy, staged at one of the country's most historic theatres and wrapped in the spirit of Women's Month.
culture_thenational@nationalmg.co.za