Festival shows from the second-largest continent

Ten funny Edinburgh shows from performers from Africa, or the diaspora…

1. Thenjiwe: The Mandela Effect

Born in South Africa, the granddaughter of a political activist, Thenjiwe has been based in the UK for 12 years, coming to study law in London. One night after a good day in court she and her colleagues went to a pub to celebrate - there was a comedy night on and she took to the stage. Now she comes to Edinburgh with a show that discusses  'how the world has collectively misremembered facts and events that have led to Africa being in the state that it's in'. She's also part of the line-up at AAA Stand-up at Just the Tonic in the Caves at 21:20

Just the Tonic at The Mash House, 14:25

2. Njambi ​McGrath: OutKast

The Kenyan-born comic has been coming to the fringe for the best part of a decade with her storytelling shows, and this timeher show revolves around how she studied prose, poetry, Shakespeare and watched Downtown Abbey in preparation for arrival in the UK... which did not exactly help her fit in when she arrived in Staines. 

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 3pm

3. Eme Essien: Fine Print

Eme Essien grew up in a Nigerian household, the sister of break-dancing illusionist Magical Bones, who is also at the Fringe. Her debut last year was a theatrical one-woman piece, exploring her insecurities as she prepared for a night out. This year she offers a series of sketches about nothing less than where we’re all going wrong.

Underbelly, Bristo Square, 16:15 

4. Joe White: Ethiopian and Still Not Hungry

 One of six siblings born to Ethiopian parents Yezina and Mulu, White - whose  formal name is Tilahun Hailu - now lives in Western Australia and says that although he has experienced many hardships in life, 'this has taught him the value of laughter'. Winner of a few accolades at Perth's Fringe World Festival, he now brings his stand-up to Edinburgh.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 9pm

5. Schalk Bezuidenhout: Keeping Up

The South African comedian scored a mini-Netflix stand-up special early last year, part of the Only Jokes Allowed series which showcased the 15-minute sets of half a dozen South African comedians.  He made his Fringe debut in 2019 and returned last year with a show about romance. This time around he shares more stories of his life, getting older but really not wanting to…  

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 17:00

6. Kenya Handle It?

Vincent Tshaka, a  Kenyan now based in Australia, promises an hour of comedy about his life that's 'irreverent, candid, fresh and politically incorrect.'

Laughing Horse @ The Raging Bull. 23:30

7. Nova

It's a theatre piece, performed by Obehi Janice and about a Nigerian-American comedian just like herself 'navigating desire, pussy and power' told with dark humour. It's a repurposing of the Casanova story with a central personality that's 'powerful in her sexuality, not manipulative;  saucy, not rude'. Last year, Essence Magazine named Janice  'a Black Woman In Hollywood To Know' so she's tipped for good things…

Royal Lyceum Theatre, 17:00

8. Mamoun Elagab: Why I Love White People

The son of academics, Elagab's  mum’s family comes from Sierra Leone and his dad is half-Sudanese, half-Egyptian - but he describes his background as Sudanese for simplicity, as  that’s the community he grew up with.  After making the finals of the BBC New Comedy Award, Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year and the Chortle Student Comedy Award, the young comic - who describes himself as 'a revered scholar of hood philosophy' - brings his debut show to the Fringe,  telling his life story and exploring race, grief, class and how we're all far more similar than we are different. 

Pleasance Courtyard 18:10

9. African-ish

South African comedian, Ambrose Uren, shares his story in this stand-up show about his 'off-grid lifestyle'. Beyond that we know little, but here's a clip of him on South African TV last year:

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 00:25

10. Dugsi Dayz

Another theatre piece piece, a stage comedy inspired by the Breakfast Club in which four students – Salma, Yasmin, Munira, and Hani –  are keeping tight-lipped about why they're in detention. When a power cut plunges them into darkness, they use folktales to break the ice. Production company  Side eYe  won a £10,000 Edinburgh Untapped Award to bring this ‘hilarious exploration of friendship between Somali girls’ to the Fringe

Underbelly Cowgate,  12:40

Published: 17 Jul 2023