Johannesburg - South African comedian Dr Riaad Moosa says he is delighted to be on the road performing live in front of his fans.
Like so many other artists, he was forced to cancel performances but the pandemic has given him a new sense of gratitude and appreciation for live audiences.
“Two years ago we were confined to our houses and had to perform to computer screens, so I have a new found sense of gratitude to be able to do live shows and I am really appreciating the audiences a lot,” Moosa told the “Saturday Star”.
“I always enjoyed stand-up comedy but I definitely have a new found gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to make people laugh.”
The comedian is hitting the road and will be in Cape Town and Joburg over the next few weeks.
We caught up with the comedian to chat about his tour and what the pandemic was like for him.
How much have you missed performing live in front of audiences across South Africa?
I’ve missed it immensely. Obviously with the virtual shows you perform to the comments section so you don’t get real laughs , you get emoji (lol), the vibe and ambiance of a live performance is definitely something I missed a lot and the audiences is something I seemed to have missed.
How would you sum your experience of lockdown and the pandemic?
It was fantastic, it was lovely, I wish the pandemic would never end, so chilled and relaxed (LOL). Bra it was stressful, all the gigs were cancelled. I have a medical degree but I don’t remember anything so it was good times.
As a doctor what was it like for you during the pandemic? And was your comedy put on hold so that you could assist as a doctor?
No the comedy wasn’t put on hold because I don’t remember anything about medicine haha. But I would like to think I tried to communicate laughter and there is a therapeutic benefit to laughter.
Tell us a little bit about your new show and what fans can expect?
Well the show is me, offloading about the challenges we all experienced in the pandemic, a lot of family jokes, wife, kids, also the stress related to the vaccine debates and the conspiracy theories, and all the different ways in which many people approach things differently. There is also an emotional component to the show , and I’d like to to think a spiritual undertone too, but I will get to the details of that in the show.
Were you continuously working on new material during your pandemic? And did you find it more difficult to come up with comedy material during the pandemic?
Coming up with the material wasn’t tough, but it was very difficult to do stand-up because you need to perform in front of live audiences to develop your routine.
Do you have any plans to tour overseas?
I wanted to, but I have four kids and I have been overpopulating the earth so its very difficult for me to go away when I have little kids, so I’ll put that on hold for a few years until they are a little bigger.
Do you feel like you've grown and evolved as a comedian over the the last three years?
Yes my comedy has become much more introspective, but that’s the nature of stand up comedy. I think generally as people we do grow and evolve and I think that’s the cool thing about stand-up. It’s a snap shot of where you are in a certain point in your life . So definitely . In my earlier shows I would provide more comedy of what was around me, but as my stand up evolved I think I’m minding myself and becoming a bit more introspective and I’m trying to find the humour in the difficulties that I psychologically have.
What was the toughest thing to manage during the pandemic? And what was the best thing about the pandemic?
Covid was the worst thing lol. There were multiple things that were tough during the pandemic.
The best thing about the pandemic? I don’t see the pandemic in any positive light, I don’t know why. I can’t give you an answer. The best thing about the pandemic is that it ended haha.
If you were able to team up with any SA comedian on a national tour… who would you choose to tour with?
I like all the South African comics and I hope that in the next year after my own show I can do more ensemble shows. I plan to put my own show on DVD and once that’s done I hope to tour with other comedians.