Arnold Saviour has, for the past few months, been tearing up stages all over the city, bringing a breath of fresh air into the fledgling Nairobi comedy scene.
His arrival into the scene was almost out-of-nowhere-ish; a-snap-of-the-finger-like; at least that’s how an outsider would see it. But make no mistake, Arnold has been around for quite a while, and the fact that he only began to blow up this year should not take away from the fact that he has put years and years of work into his craft: In comedy, that’s how you get good; eons upon eons of solid work.
The first time that Comedy Culture saw Arnold perform stand-up was at Wine and Bottle, located just across the street from Sarit Centre, around 2023. The show he was performing at had been put together by fellow comedian, Oga Bachelor. He was one of several comedians who took to the stage that night.
While the room was chaotic for most of the night, Saviour was one of the stand-out performers; he and two other comedians; Jack Alita and Pasha. But even as masterful as his performance was, no one could have predicted this meteoric rise based off of it.
So, how did he get here?
First of all, Saviour is what I like to call a total comedian. Total in the sense that, not only has he mastered the art of physical comedy, but he can also write a good joke. He knows when to get silly and when to get “serious.” But most importantly, he knows how to combine these two qualities; almost to a lethal degree.
Secondly, Saviour knows how to have fun. He doesn’t hold back and neither does he shy away. An unspoken rule in comedy is that the audience will always feed off the energy that the comedian gives. Saviour brings good vibes; and good vibes he gets back.
Another critical reason for his success, perhaps the most significant one, is that he has embraced social media, and I wouldn’t be mistaken to say that he has almost hacked the social media algorithm. In this time and age, is there a more powerful weapon that an entertainer could possibly wield? His consistency on TikTok and Instagram is enviable, and that alone has helped him amass tens of thousands of followers on those platforms in the last few months.
Lastly, Saviour’s material is very relatable. Whether it’s his quick dad jokes or as he likes to call them ‘quick ones’, or his more polished work, he tends to resonate with a majority of audiences. In comedy, relatability is key; and Arnold knows that.
But while we speak about Saviour’s strengths and abilities and how they have contributed to his new-found fame, we can’t forget the work that Punchline Comedy Club has done to morph him into what he is becoming. The comedy club has been known to nurture young talent and with Saviour, they didn’t miss a beat. From recording and editing all his sets to making sure that he gets a proper environment to showcase his talents in, they sure do deserve a few accolades.
All in all, the future is looking very bright for Arnold Saviour and we as Comedy Culture can only wish him all the best.
