Comedian and actress Celeste Ntuli chats to us about her upcoming stand-up comedy show, Home Affairs 2.
How did you get into comedy?
It was in 2005 after I watched my first stand-up comedy DVD; I remember it was Richard Pryor and The Kings of Comedy with Bernie Mac and Steve Harvey. I was blown away, and I knew I could do it! A couple of months later, I was walking around the city in Durban and saw a poster for a comedy show that had already happened. Luckily, I knew one of the guys on that poster who happened to be the organiser. I contacted him and he gave me my first gig at a local church. I was paid R500 – I was extremely happy! I knew I would love to perform again; the money was a big motivation because at that time, I was a call centre agent for one of the mobile networks.
What were some of the challenges you faced while trying to enter the industry, and how did you overcome them?
When I started comedy I knew very little about the industry, so I was not aware of the politics. I just wanted to do this because I fell in love with it and knew I could do it, that’s all.
What do you love most about what you do?
To see people laugh – I love seeing happy people and being within that space. And luckily for me, because of what I do, I am always laughing. “Live, love, laugh” are the three words that describe how I live my life.
What are some of your biggest achievements?
- Winning The Mbokodo Award 2014 for Comedy
- Acting on Isibaya and being nominated twice for the best actress category at the South African Film and Television Awards for my role.
- Cameo role in South African feature film Hard To Get, that made it to the London Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival 2015.
- Performing at the South African Embassy at the Scotland Commonwealth Games 2014.
Tell us about your upcoming show, Home Affairs 2.
When I named my show ‘Home Affairs’, I thought I was going to talk about my personal life and family, but as I was preparing the material, I realised that the show touches more on social issues than just those of my own home. I found myself talking more about the state of our country, socially and politically. To be honest, I usually don’t get into politics but lately these issues are ‘in my face”; I can’t help but say something about them.
What can we expect from the show?
To laugh and have a great time. Live, love, laugh!
Details on Celeste’s Home Affairs 2 show below
