The Sunday Mail
LOCAL comedy continues to impress on the international stage, and the latest comedian set to raise the country’s flag high is the towering Long John (Learnmore Mwanyenyeka), who has been invited to perform at the African Comedy Festival in the UK next month.
The festival, which kicks off on May 6, takes place at various venues across the UK with the grand event set for the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Park, London on June 25.
Long John will crack ribs alongside top comedians from across the continent who include Tumi Morake (South Africa), Gordons (Nigeria), Eric Omondi (Kenya), DKB (Ghana), Meskerem (Ethiopia), Alex (Uganda), GH Wiilwall (Somalia), Brother Franklyn (Kenya), Prince Ezikah (Nigeria) and MOG (Nigeria).
The African Comedy Festival is part of the African Comedy Show, a monthly event that has been running for the past eight years in London.
The African Comedy Show features top African comedians at the renowned Hippodrum Auditorium in Golders Green, and since inception, it has become an enormously popular destination for African comics from around the world.
The show has hosted top comedians such as world famous Comedy Central “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, Andi Osho and Paul Shuddery among others.
The vision for the event is to enable the UK public and the African community there to get a taste of home.
The Sunday Mail Leisure last week spoke to Long John.
The comedian has worked hard to solidify his status as a world class comic and if recent developments are anything to go by, his efforts have been paying dividends.
Born in 1993 in the diamond-rich City of Mutare, he was raised by his grandparents in Chimanimani, which is where he did primary and secondary school.
After Ordinary Level at Chimanimani High in 2012, he did not pursue further studies and it was during this period that he discovered his ability to make people laugh.
Since his debut performance in 2012 at the Simuka Comedy Night hosted at the then Book Café, Long John has never looked back and has continued to rise within the ranks of top local comics.
“I discovered my talent just after high school but it did not happen in an instant but rather over time and as soon as I realised that I could make people laugh, I decided to venture into full time comedy,” said Long John.
While many artistes draw their inspiration from their icons, this fellow is self-inspired.
“This might sound crazy, but to be honest I am my own source of inspiration, which is why I talk about myself a lot during my acts, making use of my abnormalities to draw out comic relief for people. I should also add that my grandparents have an unparalleled level of influence on my life generally and as a comic.”
Long John writes his own jokes but also works with a team that helps out in creating viewpoints, which he then translates into comedy.
While many comics are under fire for repetitive performances, Long John said that he always had something new cooking.
“I am always working hard and my whole life from waking up and going to the toilet is comedy, so new jokes are more like an everyday thing but developing the material takes time which is why I carry my notebook so that wherever I am, I can work,” he said.
“I seek to interpret the world around me and beyond from a comic point of view so I basically talk about my life experiences, for example, my stature, my family and my travels among other things.”
He commended local comics for the efforts they were making to grow the industry.
“We are putting in work and it is good but I think we need to be marketable and we should also maintain the vibe.”
Performing at the African Comedy Festival is the biggest highlight of a budding career.
“To be frank, I can feel the pressure of carrying the nation on my shoulders and it is such an honour to perform on such a stage. From a strategic point of view, this breakthrough will catapult me to greater heights and the limelight will definitely extend my reach globally.
“I am hopping this opportunity will open doors for me because it has always been my dream to travel around the world meeting different races and making people laugh,” he said.
Long John has toured South Africa and Namibia, sharing the stage with big names such as Loiso Gola, Joe Parker, Tall Ass Mol, Dusty Rush and Celeste to name just a few.
On the local scene, he has opened for international acts who include Barry Hilton and Anne Kansiime, captivating the crowd on both occasions.
Last year, he was a major hit at the Harare International Festival of the Arts and Shoko Festival.
