By Gbenga Akinfenwa
19 November 2024 |
3:48 pm
Comedy reveals in Nigeria have been described as a goldmine, however they’ve but to realize their full potential as most Nigerians have
Comedy reveals in Nigeria have been described as a goldmine, however they’ve but to realize their full potential as most Nigerians haven’t absolutely tapped into their array of advantages.
This was the view of Babatunde Ojobaro, popularly referred to as Mister Rain, in a chat with Journalists. He disclosed that as a multi-talented particular person, he had all the time believed that expertise goes approach past what it seems to be like.
“Comedy reveals have achieved a really enormous milestone prior to now decade, and the advance can’t be ignored. I really feel that these comedy kinds – satire, farce, parody and slapstick are the preferred and have been explored quite a bit to a sure extent and to be sincere, they’ve labored for the individuals who have distinctively employed any of all of them of their standup comedy fashion.
“Different comedy kinds like comedy of humor, classical comedy, comedy of errors, romantic comedy, and some others are extra in tune for TV, drama, and movies than it’s to stand-up comedy,” he stated.
Ojobaro revealed that as a comic, he believes comedy is extra than simply making folks giggle. “One in every of my favorite quotes is that ‘If you may make them giggle, you may get their consideration, and if you may get their consideration, you may inform them something.’
“I imagine there’s a lot that may be performed with the chance of getting lots of people listening to you on the similar time. I’m a sucker for capability constructing, social change, neighborhood improvement and something that encourages private and communal development and performing comedy on a daily present the place you get simply 5 to 10 minutes, doesn’t give me sufficient time to essentially preach my message whereas making folks giggle.
“I made a decision to curate my comedy present, which is able to give me sufficient time to make them giggle whereas pertaining to points that may preach my beliefs that typically deal with the essence of private and communal development.
“I additionally wished to do one thing completely different from the same old, one thing that can problem me to provide the entire of myself to my craft and efficiency after which I really feel like doing what permits me to service viewers and purchasers in my area of interest satisfactorily,” he stated.
Ojobaro, who burdened that each endeavour has its personal challenges, stated within the case of one-man comedy present, it comes with the problem of fixing the narratives.
“Persons are used to comedy reveals with number of comedians, which isn’t dangerous in any respect and typically it appears like good worth for his or her money and time, in comparison with simply coming to take a seat down for only one one that is just not even a preferred determine in that sense. Having to persuade folks to select a one-man comedy present for a payment that may get them into one other comedy present with a wide range of comedians is a top-notch problem.
“The opposite problem could be getting the total consideration of your visitor as the one comic for the marketed length. You must serve selection as a person; that’s some very arduous work, however with the observe document of 5 profitable one-man comedy reveals, that problem has been mastered and overcome.
He inspired his colleagues to embrace one-man comedy, with regards to stand-up comedy, saying it’s a litmus check, not essentially for the way good the individual is, however a check in the actual sense of it. “It paints you as a comic in a extra sensible gentle. It may additionally check how fashionable or not you might be amongst many different issues.”
Whereas noting that comedy is already an export commodity for Nigeria, he stated: “I can title a whole lot of comedians who’ve put the Nigeria comedy scene on the worldwide map. It may be higher than it’s now, however it’s already an export.
Whereas talking on his journey as an entertainer, he stated: “I began out as a dancer. Dancing for enjoyable and entertaining folks as a really younger boy, then acquired into performing and comedy within the college way back to 2003, after which I mixed all three. Actually, it turned so critical after my first diploma. I needed to take JAMB once more to review Theatre Arts, and I’ve by no means seemed again since then. As an award winner – Radio presenter, actor for display, director and producer for theatre, a slapstick comedian, I might cumulatively say I’ve been in leisure for greater than 20 years (that is inclusive of my years within the college).
Ojobaro stated that he believes everybody who does one thing needs to both be the perfect at it or get due recognition or simply be at that house the place lots of people can reckon together with your work.
“Generally when that doesn’t occur both as quick as you need or as massive, it’s possible you’ll start to fret however once more there are a whole lot of different abilities jostling for a similar factor. The ripple impact of that is, that when one is just not at that stage but, getting funding and sponsorship could develop into a really massive deal and it may possibly hinder private initiatives and stuff like that if one is just not even cautious it may possibly hinder development and I thought-about {that a} very enormous problem for a very long time however not anymore.
“I do know that not everybody might be an RMD or an Ali Baba, however you may carve out your area of interest, construct your personal shopper and viewers base, start to nurture and repair them satisfactorily and that’s what I’ve been doing within the final couple of years.
“As a comic, I’m not as fashionable as most comedians, however all my stand-up comedy reveals are often offered out weeks earlier than the present. I don’t know what number of comedians can do a one-man comedy present in October and November of the identical yr in the identical metropolis, charging completely different charges per present and nonetheless promote out the auditorium for each reveals however I did.
“As an actor, particularly for stage and theatre, my reveals are additionally often offered out. A really latest occasion is my participation on the Lagos Worldwide Theatre Competition and even the Lagos Fringe, the play “Who Tif Mona Lisa?” After I featured as an actor was an enormous success.
“So the concept is, I don’t wish to rule the world; I wish to rule my world, and that’s how I’m capable of continually overcome the challenges.”
