Alternative Comedy - South Africa

South Africa

South African comedy often comprises racial or stereo-type based humour, alternative comedy in South Africa tends to avoid such subject matter. It is hard to define alternative comedy but subject matter may include taboo, dark, non sequitur, geek and various other topics whilst excluding racial, scatological, stereo-type, South Africanised humour and other topics considered mainstream. Although comedians of this genre may include mainstream topics it does not form the majority of their sets.

It is hard to say exactly where it started but The Underground in Melville Johannesburg was known for its risqué humour proliferated by founder John Vlismas. The Comedy Underground was fertile development ground for alternative humour with its anything goes policy. Since its closure in 2010 alternative comedy has found new venues including Foxwood theatre, Picollinos and various others. Johannesburg remains the home of South African alternative.

One of the driving forces behind the increasing prominence of alternative comedy is the Johannesburg Comedy Cartel whose members include Shaun Wewege, Warren Robertson, Vittorio Leonardi and Alyn Adams. Other South African comedians who fall into the genre are; Dale Amler, Roni Modimola, Mark Banks, John Vlismas

Mel Miller is arguably considered one of the pioneers of the alternative genre in South Africa. During the Apartheid era Millers material was considered “inappropriate” or radical resulting in more than one run-in and detention with the South African Bureau of State Security