The 2002 Smirnoff International Comedy Festival, Cape Town - Main Arena comedians - Danger Zone comedians [ Venue and other details further down this page. Please scroll ] Comedians Chris McEvoy (SA), Kurt Schoonraad (SA) and Glen Wool (Canada) test each other's waters in the bar. More pictures. IT's over, it's been a hot festival, and we're looking forward to the next lot of foreign comics arriving. If they're anywhere as cool and pro as this bunch, they're very welcome on our stage. The Best comedian competition results are now in: Kagiso Lediga won the People's Choice Award (audience members voted on a cell number) and the deserving Phil Nichol and the popular Pierre were joint favourites with the Press. Truly hot gossip Danger Zone comic Pierre's manager apparently spent much of his time in SA appearing in live sex shows in Greenpoint, doing audience members. He used some of his Cape Talk airtime to publicise this. He's planning to return and shoot a porno in Cape Town. You'll probably get details when available via www.africans.co.za LOCALS IMPRESSED, AND THE FOREIGNERS ROCKED TOO (no matter what one silly Argus journo says): It seems so unfair that this years international comedians are all hot professional acts, and some (not all) of SA's press are giving them a beating. Mainly out of ignorance, and perhaps a dash of trational Cape Town xhenophobia. What do most journos know about comedy, after all? Argus reviewer Gary van Dyk [danger zone] gave justified praise to local acts Chris McEvoy and Mel Miller, as well as LA comic Pierre. But he soured this by not recognising the genius of Phil Nichol (this guy's like fucking Gollom on E and crack combined), or comprehending Glen Wool's quiet knife in the guts style. Fine: you don't have to love every act, but he made the classic mistake: failed to mention that the audience was gasping for breath. On the plus side, Cape Times reviewer Miles Keylock really knows his shit and provided a readable, useful critique of all the acts. If you meet him, buy him a bar. If you don't, you got this info for nothing. The international lineup is hot - it's not just a bunch of hacks with foreign accents and stolen jokes, who think they can say "poes" and impress us. Most of this year's acts have earned their stripes - they almost all have full length "sold out" (someone's got to be lying, and we're sure to find out who) Edinburgh shows and or Perrier nominations to their name. And to top it off, they're great people. Not a bunch of embittered, arrogant colonialists. Perhaps the better you are, the less you feel the need to crap on the competition. Venues: The whole thing's at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town. The "Main Arena" (Theatre) has the mainstream local and international comics. The "Danger Zone" (Concert Hall) is a little dirtier, a little more extreme. The Danger Zone is a very hot show this year - previously it had a reputation for being a bit "downmarket". The main was worth the cash but mainly thanks to genius MC Ben Norris' fairly daring stuff, and new South African talent in the form of Kagiso Lediga and Kurt Schoonraad. So who's onstage? The MAIN ARENA Onstage are Ben Norris (UK) - Master of Ceremonies, Addy Borgh, Kurt Schoonraad, Jason Wood, Kagiso Lediga, Ronnie Edwards, Adam Bloom, and Sean Meo. >>Pictures and bios, click here The DANGER ZONE John Fothergill is Master of Ceremonies for Mel Miller, Chris McEvoy, Rene Hicks, Martin Bigpig, Glen Wool, and Phil Nicholl. >>Pictures and bios, click here On Sundays 21st, 28th, and October 5th, John Vlismas, Marc Lottering and Mark Banks host all-star Overseas-comedians-only gala evenings. Sells out fast, so book now. Dates and Times: Main Arena (Theatre) nightly at 20h00 Danger Zone (Concert Hall) nightly at 20h30. Ticket Prices Price: Main Arena (Theatre) R75 Danger Zone (Concert Hall) R75 Sundays 7 and 14 October R90 Corporate hospitality and block bookings can be made by calling Anneliese on 082 495 8815 Book online through computicket.co.za. Check out Last year's comedyclub festival site or the more extensive, sponsored 2000 site

We reported on events during the 1999 Smirnoff International Comedy Festival held in Cape Town and Durban during October 99 - some Pics and nasty comments - check out these archives.

ComedyClub ran a daily updates on Stand-up at the Grahamstown festival 1999 - providing festival press clippings, comics' comments on the festival and show times as well as festival tips.