Pharanoid

Cape Town comedian Ntobeko Ximba will make his debut one-man show, aptly named Pharanoid, at the Masambe Theatre at the Baxter Theatre Centre, from 27 February to 1 March, starting at 7:30pm until 8:30pm.

Ximba won a Standard Bank Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival 2024, as part of the creative team behind 32 Lavender Close and in 2023 and 2024, he also performed as part of the trio stand-up show Proudly Problematic.

In addition, Ximba has performed at the Cape Town Comedy Club (RIP), Cape Town Funny Festival and the famous Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California.

Directed by visionary theatre-maker Andi Colombo, Pharanoid is a culmination of Ntobeko’s six years of stand-up comedy and a hilarious and tightly-orchestrated reflection on being South African from a silly yet thoughtful comedian.

Frankly, his work, as Cue Online put it, is ‘sure to make you fall in love with dark humour’.

Two common stand-up tropes will be conspicuously missing in Ximba’s comedy. The first is any swear words.

‘I don’t swear at home in my spare time, it wouldn’t feel right to start swearing on stage,’ said Ximba.

The second missing trope is any mention of race in his comedy.

Although he doesn’t shy away from the realities of South Africa’s race and class dynamics, he just never mentions the words, ‘black’, ‘white’ or ‘coloured’ about people in any of his jokes.

‘There’s no need […] a Karen by any other name would still ask for the manager,’ said Ximba.

Tickets are R80 to R100 per person via Webtickets, with the festival running from 27 February to 1 March, starting at 7:30pm until 8:30pm.

For the latest updates and more details, check out Ximba’s website.