Clive Chigubhu: The stand out stand-up comedian

Zimbabweans have an abundant sense of humour – no matter how rough a situation is they always manage to squeeze a laugh out of it.
Maybe that is why the comedy industry, despite having a large pool of talent to draw from, continues to attract paltry audiences: there are too many fellas out there who can crack a joke or two without being paid to make them laugh.

But when a stand-up comedian stands out, not only from the large pool that makes up the scores of Zimbabwean rib-crackers, but from a select few regarded as the best in the profession, then he/she deserves a mention.

Such has been the case with Clive Chigubhu, a raw gem from the City of Kings and Queens who was in the capital a fortnight ago as the headline act for the Simuka Comedy third anniversary at Book Café.

In the absence of Carl-Joshua Ncube, Michael Kudakwashe and a hibernating Edgar Langeveldt, the Bulawayo-born and bred actor-cum-comedian is the next best thing. The former Mzilikazi High School student has been nominated more than once for a National Arts Merit Award.

His rise has seen many compare him to some of comedy’s international greats like Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Aries Spears and Eddie Murphy, but Chigubhu prefers to be seen more in the mould of his role model, the inimitable Dave Chappelle.

Like Trevor Noah, who recently conquered the United States from across the Limpopo, Chigubhu wants to win the hearts of the same South Africans that the “Day Walker” left starved.

The way Chigubhu weaves his Bulawayo stories with his Harare experiences reminds one of the way Noah talks about Africa, interlacing his tales with the American perception of the Motherland.

If only the 23-year-old could do one solid solo show, maybe one could rate it the same way Noah’s “It’s My Culture” or “African American” are rated.

Imagine, his catchphrase “Ye Ye-e”, which has become his trademark, echoing through the auditoriums of Europe, America and Asia: an African boy, whose dream began at the Ibumba Festival in Bulawayo, raising the Zimbabwean flag high using a genre that many are still to fully understand.

At Simuka’s third anniversary, Chigubhu – a pioneer of the current comedic resurgence, together with Doc Vikela, Simba the Comic King and Ntando van Moyo – went up against Prosper the Comic Pastor, Long John, Pkay and Seb Diesel.

One of the show organisers, Doc Vikela, described the event as a “huge success as it managed to attract a decent audience”. Indeed it was a success, but Chigubhu decried the lack of growth in the audience base.

“The comedy industry in Zimbabwe is really growing as we now have four comedy clubs in the country. The only problem we have is that our audience is stagnant. Performing for the same audience makes them complain about content, which seems to remain the same,” said Chigubhu.

Chigubhu says he began acting in high school, as he found himself drawn to hilarious characters and making people smile, leading him to take up comedy professionally.

With extensive abilities in acting, emceeing and having been involved in a number of major plays and films in Bulawayo, it is no surprise that Chigubhu has found his way to some of the country’s top venues, like Book Café, ZGS, Theatre in the Park, Charles Austin Theatre, Amakhosi Elite 400 and Pakare Paye, to name just a few.

Outside Zimbabwe he has performed in some of South Africa’s finest comedy venues like the Packers Gold Reef City, Packers Monte Casino and the Box Goliath. He has stood on stage with big names such as Kgagiso Lediga, Tumi Morake, Cde Fatso, Carl-Joshua Ncube and John Vlismas.

Creating comedy out of daily township life and hardships, out of personal experiences, personal stories and somewhat poking fun at himself, Clive also boasts an extensive theatre and film background. He has starred in pantomimes, dramas, short and feature films and is currently working on a TV show of his own, “A Comic Called Clive”.

From filling arenas to making audiences roar, from headlining festivals to brushing shoulders with other big players in the game, Clive is undoubtedly the fastest-growing comedian in the country.