In the last few weeks, two high-profile comedy shows have taken place in the coastal city of Mombasa – one put together by Mombasa Comedy Club and another by Chuckle Cartel and Kenyan Comedy Co. Both of these shows happened in Nyali.
Just a few months ago, Maina Munene and Amandeep Jagde both staged their one-man shows; A Child Of The Mau Mau and Doggies On The Road at Swahili Pot and Light International School Auditorium respectively.
While the new brand of English comedy, and by extension, English-speaking comedians, haven’t even scratched the surface as far as the comedy market in Nairobi is concerned, the perception from a section of industry players of Mombasa as a viable comedy destination begs the question; is Mombasa the next stand-up hotspot?
From where we sit, the answer might not be as forthcoming as the question is; not to say that comedy wouldn’t thrive in the region, but it just might be too early to tell.
Yes, both Aman and Munene might have had successful shows. Yes, the recent shows may have shown sparks of potential – but the frequency of comedy shows in the city has just been too low to allow for any meaningful evaluations to be made. No one has been able to consistently put together a string of shows; not even Mombasa Comedy Club, an outfit whose turf is under discussion.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to dig into some factors that may come into play if Mombasa is ever going to be a welcoming home to comedy.
Language is undoubtedly one of the more important factors when it comes to stand-up. While there’s a huge population of English speakers in Mombasa, and the coastal region at large, the fact still remains that the region is primarily Swahili-speaking. To reach an even greater audience, comedians may need to find a balance between English, their preferred language of trade, and Swahili, the language mostly spoken at the coast. From what we have seen, that shouldn’t be a huge problem though; comics have so far been able to find a way to navigate.
Another crucial factor to take into account is purchasing power. This will manifest itself in ticket sales. Again, while there’s a thriving middle class in the coastal region, the economies of Nairobi and Mombasa are not remotely on the same level. And while comedians can charge between Ksh. 1000 to Ksh. 3000 for a door ticket in Nairobi, that reality cannot apply in Mombasa; the price will have to be considerably lower; at least for a start.
Lastly, can we really talk about Mombasa without talking about the culture of the populace? More often than not, the culture of a people greatly determines what comics can, or cannot talk about whilst among them. Mombasa as a city is a bit more conservative than say, Kisumu or Nairobi and in some places and on certain nights some material may not fly; risqué topics and jokes about religion particularly. Not to say that these topics are totally off-limits, but comedians will have to be smarter in how they dance around them.
Those are just some of the factors that should inform how a successful comedy culture can be built in Mombasa and the neighboring coastal areas. If everyone does their part, then there’s no reason at all why comedy wouldn’t do well in the city; after all, we strongly believe that comedy is a basic human right.
