Comedy Knights bring comic breath of fresh air

As diverse forms of entertainment continue to take root in the country, comedy is steadily winning the hearts and minds of Rwandans courtesy of the ‘Comedy Knights.The founder members of the group that was initiated in October 2010 are Arthur Nkusi, Michael Sengazi and Jerome Mugisha. Since then, the group has grown from strength to strength courtesy of their rib-cracking antics. The stand up comedians devised their stage name after a couple of shows as whispers of Comedy Night rent the air during a local show. “We thought of twisting the name to ‘Comedy Knight’ where the ‘Knight’ implies a fighter in a battle - which is comedy here,” says Nkusi.It was from a show called, “Umuvunyi”, which was directed by Carole Karemera, the artistic director of Ishyo Arts Centre from which they were inspired to initiate the group.The group then successfully consulted Karemera about staging a comedy show.“First time we performed, we had more people on stage than from the audience,” says Sengazi, “the audience was mainly composed of our friends and relatives.”“We, too, have problems as a group like others but the way we handle them is easy-going,” he notes. “It’s all about the love of this passion that we all have as we understand each other well enough.”In 2011, the group was joined by eight more members from various countries including Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DR Congo and Canada who spiced it up. This made it easy to share experiences and plan for the audience. The group presently has a total of eleven members.The group has so far hosted over 40 performances within and out of the country, including this year’s U.N performance at Kigali Serena Hotel and Theatre La Bonita in Uganda.The subject of their comedies is based on everyday life, showbiz and happenings within society. They live a life of comedy daily adding that they are inseparable.“It’s funnier when people recognise you in public, one will usually ask you when the next show will take place,” says Herve Kimenyi, a member of the group. One of their major challenge is to keep up the standards set thus far. One of their main inspirations has been the audience’s turn-up which they say grows with every performance.“Some times people pay and stand due to lack of enough space to sit and we respect that. So, how can you not respect such a crowd? Kimenyi poses.“In two years, we’ve had the biggest steady audience attendance than any other ever,” he adds. Members are also targeting to improve their solo careers.“We always do pieces together as a group and also one man shows and intergrate it all into DVDs of each performance,” Kimenyi reveals. You can catch up with Comedy Knights every last Friday of the month at Ishyo Arts Centre, Kacyiru.

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Comedy Knights bring comic breath of fresh air