I wish I could explain how much tonight has meant for me.
I wish I could fully describe the surreal out-of-body moments which punctuated the show as I witnessed a masterclass of comedy. Michael McIntyre in the flesh.
Purely unbelievable.
A huge group of my friends gathered secretly behind my back and schemed to come up with the most fantastic of early birthday surprises. A week ago, I was completely surprised when they lured me to the cafe outside the Rhodes Theatre and then dropped the bombshell that they had bought me tickets to see the British comedy giant.
And so tonight, as the proverbial dust settles on an incredible experience, I just want to bask in the magnitude of the occasion while expressing immense gratitude for what I experienced.
McIntyre said towards the end of the show that it was the single biggest comedy show in South Africa, and that it was.
Massive.
Thousands and thousands of people packed the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate and the show lived up to the hype.
I actually thought there would be a local opening act, but Paul Tonkinson accompanied McIntyre all the way from Britain and did a decent job in getting the enormous audience fired up.
McIntyre was sublime. The performance was injected with a few of his hit jokes from DVDs past and it was also a showcase of plenty new material.
I totally admire his comfort with physicality and how this just takes his quirky observations to a new level. This following clip, taken from Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow is a joke he also performed tonight:
He had moments of sublime improvisation both with the audience and also when he reacted to what sounded like a sound malfunction somewhere close to the start of his long set. While he spoke, a short and loud buzz blared from the speakers.
“Is that for me?” he asked, puzzled at the sudden interruption to what he was saying. He then went on a really entertaining tangent about how he hadn’t expected to be on Britain’s Got Talent and how he had two more buzzes before it was over for him.
I was in the company of my brother at the show and the entire spectacle was just a marvel to behold.
To be at the show was a huge privelege and was truly one of the greatest things people have ever done for me. Apart from it being a really lovely gesture of love, what my friends did for me felt like an encouraging pat on the back and also a resounding move of support for the huge dreams I harbour.
Robynne Peatfield deserves special mention as the person who got the ball rolling and co-ordinated the massive surprise.
So much love.
Stay tuned…
-Tyson
Tyson Ngubeni 