Fresh jokes, big laughs: Chuckle Comedy Night is back

Chuckle Factory Comedy Club will bring a night of stand-up comedy to Ster-Kinekor at Grove Mall next Wednesday, as it continues to grow its footprint on Windhoek’s entertainment scene.

The show starts at 19:00 and runs until 21:00.

Chuckle Factory founder and stand-up comedian Ananias Haimbondi recently spoke to tjil about the club's steady growth.

The CFCC describes itself as a comedy production and talent development platform dedicated to growing and professionalising live comedy in Namibia.

Starting out at Village Garden, the club drew about 110 attendees to its first show before expanding into nightclubs and restaurants.

"Over time, we scaled up, and we also hosted a show at the National Theatre of Namibia, which accommodated 470 attendees," Haimbondi said.

He said the idea behind Chuckle Factory Comedy Night was rooted in creative control and vision.

"The decision to create Chuckle Factory Comedy Night was driven by the need to build something that aligns fully with my vision, where I could shape the direction, quality, and overall experience of the shows," he added.

Haimbondi also outlined plans for the continued growth of the live comedy platform.

“Chuckle Factory Comedy Night is already a recurring series, with monthly shows forming the foundation of the platform," he noted.

"Moving forward, the goal is to continue expanding both in terms of audience size and production quality while maintaining consistency."

Fresh set

Get ready to laugh out loud as next week’s Chuckle Comedy Night brings five comedians to the stage.

Johan Engelbrecht, who performs on stage as Joh White, is among the line-up. He said he is writing fresh material for the show.

“You always have to try and break the habit of continuing your old material," he said.

"So for this show, I'm bringing it fresh. I'm writing constantly, practising the puns, and I'm excited."

Asked to describe his comedic style in three words, he said: "I would describe my comic style as energetic, very energetic and just enthusiastic and humorous; I mean, those are a couple of words."

Class clown to stand-up

Wilbard Namwiha, who performs as Wilbard, also forms part of next week’s stand-up show.

He said he is switching things up for this set.

“This time I am moving away from my usual 'Current Affairs' set."

For the 29 April show, he plans to focus on family life.

“[I’ll talk] about my parents and, mainly, what it's like growing up in an African household and just African parents in general.”

Wilbard says his journey into comedy began with inspiration and a naturally playful personality.

"A friend of mine showed me Trevor Noah's stand-up comedy videos on YouTube, and that's how I got into stand-up," he said.

"But even before the stand-up comedy career, I was always making jokes or doing stupid stuff here and there. I was a very big class clown, always trying to make people laugh – that is my personality."

In addition to Haimbondi, Wilbard and Joh White, next week’s live show will feature ‘Courage the Comedian’ and ‘Slick the Dick’.

Tickets are N$200.