Three years after nervously stepping onto an open mic stage, Cape Town comedian Nishen Pather is riding high as a nominee for the coveted Savanna Newcomer Award, which he describes as deeply validating.
Pather will go head-to-head with Akhil Maharaj, Prince K, Rae du Plooy and Sjika Da Thirdborn at the 13th annual Savanna Comics’ Choice Comedy Awards set to take place at Gold Reef City’s The Lyric Theatre on Saturday.
Sowetan: How are you feeling about being nominated for the Savannah Newcomer Award?
Nishen Pather: I’m grateful. That’s the main word that comes to mind. Because of the nature of the award, other comedians vote on it, so it feels much more meaningful. It’s an indication of what people think of you, your potential, or your comedy.
Sowetan: When and where did you find out about your nomination?
Pather: I was driving. I had traded in my car and bought a new one, and I was setting up my phone to connect to the car. I started seeing all these messages coming through, but the system wouldn’t read them out for safety reasons. I noticed they were all from people in comedy, so I thought, “The Savanna list must be out.” When it was safe to check my phone, I confirmed it... There was a bit of disbelief.
Sowetan: You started comedy in 2023 — what led you to do stand-up?
Pather: That’s a layered question. I think intrinsically [as a person] you’re always telling jokes in some capacity, maybe building a relationship between you and humour growing up, using it to connect with people. For whatever reason, I was always drawn to comedy. I tried to seek out interviews with comedians, especially local ones, even though it was difficult when I was younger. I never thought it was something you could actually do. As I got older, I started going to live comedy shows, and it stayed in the back of my mind that maybe one day I’d try stand-up. I did things like funny orals at school or skits, and eventually I went to enough bad open mic shows and thought, “I could probably do this”. So I gave it a go.
Sowetan: How do you balance your 9-to-5 with comedy?
Pather: Some days, the answer is, I don’t know. But if you love something, you’ll find a way. I don’t overthink it, I just say yes to gigs. I also run a show every Thursday with a friend called Comedy In Common at The Kaya Comedy Café on Loop Street in Cape Town. It’s been about a year now. We started off struggling to sell tickets, but now we consistently sell out, even though it’s a small venue. So yeah, you make time if you’re passionate about it.
Sowetan: How would you describe your journey so far?
Pather: I wouldn’t say it feels like I’m gaining popularity. Comedy exists in a bit of a bubble; unless people are actively following the scene, they might not know you. But it’s been really fun. I’ve met amazing people, especially comedians who’ve been in the game longer. They’ve been kind, generous, and open with their knowledge, which I didn’t expect.
Sowetan: What does this nomination mean to your community?
Pather: It’s a nice form of validation. With comedy, anyone can say they’re a comedian, unlike something like engineering, where you need qualifications. So recognition like this helps affirm that you’re on the right track and doing something that’s being received well.
- This article forms part of a commercial collaboration with Savanna.
