David Kau brings one-man show

Twenty years after David Kau first started his successful career as a stand-up comedian the funny South African is slated to host his one man show at Maitisong Theatre on February 1st. The show, which marks the start of his SADC tour is dubbed Half man, Half Comic. The title of the show celebrates how he has spent half of his life in making people laugh.

The show is a special one for the Gaborone audience as it marks ten years since he last performed in Botswana. Now married and a father of three, Kau tells this publication in a telephone interview that it has been a while since he performed in a one-man show. He notes that this is the beginning of his SADC tour, which includes Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Lesotho.

He explains that it was a good time to come and celebrate his big milestone with his Botswana fans during the Botswana Music Awards weekend. He learnt about the awards from one of the most promising and talented gems of Botswana, namely Thato Jessica who is looking at breaking into the comedy market outside the country. Kau’s company, Disadvantaged Backgrounds Productions is trying to find a way that they can assist the performer to penetrate the market outside the country.

According to Kau, it was no brainer when it came to picking a partner that clearly understands his vision and can pull off a memorable show hence he settled on his long time trusted friend/partner, namely Fish Pabalinga of Leap Frog. The duo had previously worked together in shows that includes Miss Botswana. Over the past couple of years, he had to cut back on traveling as he wanted to focus on his family, and raising his children. “I decided to stay at home more. And I have also been making movies,” he explains.
To date, he has made close to 15 movies for Mzansi Magic. He has also moved a bit from doing political commentary.

“The material is different,” says Kau. He reveals that he is planning to take advantage of the many platforms that are available for creators. He is also working on a Black Only documentary. Blacks Only is one of the many projects he wanted to use to create a platform for the up and coming comedians. “The landscape and the economy has changed. We have more infrastructures, and we want to reach other countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria where there is a strong comedy industry,” explains Kau.

His last visit to Botswana was to MC at Miss Botswana pageant and he was not successful as the audience were impatient with him. But, this is something that he has put behind him, and is looking forward to doing what he was best known for over the past twenty years.

Kau was discovered at the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival in October 1998 at The Baxter theatre in Cape Town. Over the course of the twenty years, Kau has risen, and grown to become a force to reckon with in comedy. Not one to hog the limelight, he has given a platform to some of the best comedians in South Africa including the likes of Celeste, Thapelo Tips, as well as Chris Mapane to mention a few through events such as the 'So you think you are funny. 'Reached for a comment, Pabalinga confirmed the event, and highlighted that this was one event that comedy lovers do not want to miss.