July 21, 2005
By Debashine Thangevelo
Minutes before interviewing South Africa's favourite cousin - Barry Hilton - I explored the funnyman's website to find out what he has been busying himself with lately.
And what a busy oke he has been. Having recently returned from London, where he enjoyed five sold-out shows as well as taking a short holiday, Hilton is raring to go for tonight's two shows at Durban's ICC at 6pm and 9pm.
However, before relaying my delightful interview with SA's premier stand-up comedian, I have to first share a few hilarious one-liners I came across on the website: "Ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Some people are only alive because its illegal to shoot them twice. Puritanism - The haunting fear that someone, somewhere may be happy."
Even when Hilton is not entertaining a comedy-starved crowd in person, he does so via his website.
No stranger to the famous London Comedy Club - Hilton is quite a traveller. The cousin has performed in places like France, Wales, the Channel Islands, Holland and Ireland.
However, the entertainer places strong emphasis on the fact that he is first and foremost a South African who is proud of his country and the people and everything about it.
Given the fact that Hilton has successfully entertained comedy lovers from diverse cultural backdrops, I asked: "How do you do it?"
"When I am overseas, I just talk a little bit slower and tweak the diction slightly. I talk generally about SA. My material is about life: kids growing up, walking the dog, fishing, things like that
. The subject matter is universally appealing."
Not wanting the focus to remain solely on his work abroad, Hilton made subtle hints - that did not go unanswered - that he wanted to talk more about SA.
With the cousin a household name, he was asked to shed more light on when and how he got into stand-up comedy.
"I have been doing this for 23 years now. I was 26 years old, working as an electrician and I hated it. When I went to this club one day where they had stand-up comedy acts and I decided to give it a try and never looked back. However, my salary dropped radically. I went from earning R1 000 to R20."
Clearly, if there is anyone who is living proof that hard work does pay, it's Hilton.
"It took me 15 years to become well known and another five to become an 'overnight success'.
But, it was all hard work, hard work, hard work...I grabbed every single opportunity for work: whether it was performing outdoors, in churches, on trains, at schools and learning institutions, you name it, I have done it."
While other comedians rely a lot of the "F" word, profanities have never been part of Hilton's act.
Meanwhile the comedian says he has been writing fresh material for tonight's shows over the last month.
"I am doing a lot of tours, appearing in a movie early next year and releasing a new video in 2006," he said of his future plans
Tickets for tonight's two shows cost R120 and can be bought through Computicket. Comic relief at its best - be there!
  
 
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