Master class on how to work a crowd
Stand-up comedian Mojak Lehoko performs in Scout Hall at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, 2 July 2016.The show was directed by Chris Forrest, who also performed at the festival. (Photo: CuePix/Gemma Middleton) Stand-up comedian Mojak Lehoko performs in Scout Hall at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, 2 July 2016.The show was directed by Chris Forrest, who also performed at the festival. (Photo: CuePix/Gemma Middleton)
MOJAK Lehoko’s Did I Get Here? is a masterclass on how to work a crowd. The Emmy-nominated comedian’s entrance to the hit rap song, Panda is the first hint at the rap star aura that he’d exude throughout the show.
This is the second time I’ve seen him live. The first was a few days ago when I went to watch Apologies In Advance, which sees him alongside Chris Forrest and Deep Fried Man. He stole the show that night and I immediately booked for this, his one man show.
Scout Hall, our venue tonight, is only about half full. But it’s buzzing with laughter as Lehoko interacts with audience members, firing back sharply to whatever details he can pry out of them. With a sharp comedic jab at the ready, Lehoko picks off one person at a time.
One gentleman, sitting with his wife, is asked if he’s ever been to a strip club. “Uhhh, yeah, but only at a friend’s bachelor party,” he mumbles nervously, wary of his wife’s side-eye glance. Lehoko plays on this, ripping into the poor guy before sharing his own strip club experience.
He even performs his own little rendition of a ‘popular’ stripper dance.He’s comfortable and assured in his delivery, using the unique SA experience as a playground for his jokes.
The improv element drives his performance. One audience member, an international politics student, says she doesn’t know much about Brexit and isn’t interested in it.
Naturally, he interrogates this heavily, puzzled by an international politics student’s disregard for a major international politics matter. While doing so, someone’s phone goes off. He looks at her and says, “Please Brexit the room.” We all laugh.
Lehoko feels genuine, effortless and endearing in a way that is unusual for a comedian. His storytelling is vivid and his fluidity shows a natural comedic talent.
To close off the show, he invites his friend and fellow comic Deep Fried Man to play guitar while he does some improv singing.
He draws on all the info he’s gathered from the audience tonight to deliver an appropriately entertaining end to a stand-out performance.
Yes, this guy is good. Really good.