Prepare to be Siv-ilized

Prepare to have your funny bone tickled as comedian Sivuyile “Siv” Ngesi stages his first comedy show in four years next week.

The one-man show, Siv-ilized, will run for two weeks at the Baxter Theatre from Monday October 2 to Sunday October 15.

Siv, who is also a TV presenter, MC and producer, grew up in Langa and Gugulethu before moving to Pinelands in his younger years.

He says Siv-ilized is the “most truthful show” he’s ever done. Where his previous shows gravitated mostly around race this one will be “an authentic depiction of me”.

“People don’t have to agree with it. They’ll definitely watch funnier shows. But I want people to think when they leave my show. I want to challenge the status quo.”

Siv lives in the Cape Town CBD and he has been nominated three times for the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA). He returned to the country recently after wrapping up a travelling show, Wingin’ It, with Top Billing presenter Janez Vermeiren.

“The more I travel the more I see how similar people are. It doesn’t matter where you come from. Everyone just wants to succeed. No one wants to suffer.”

Although every day brings about new ideas for the show, Siv will be breaking boundaries by covering some unusual topics for a comedy show which includes meeting three-year-old Gracie Rae Fourie Philbin who is battling cancer and discussing his organisation, Dignity Drive, which aims to provide free sanitary towels to women in South Africa.

He will also talk about growing up in the townships and tell stories about his mother Jacqueline who he is very close to.

“People will laugh but they need to think as well. Everything has a truth and I don’t mind offending people if it’s my truth,” he says.

Siv will also be flexing those chiselled pecs while performing some song and dance on stage.

Admittedly nervous about the show, he says that for the first time he will not be performing as “rockstar Siv” but “will create moments of vulnerability” for people to see him for who he really is.

Besides making people think, he adds, humbly: “I want my mother to be proud of me”.