Last Friday at the Phoenix, at the Professional Centre, fans from far and wide came together to see one of their own rise again. George Mbuto, popularly known in theatre circles as Generali, was performing his unique brand of stand-up after a five-year hiatus, in A Thousand Cuts for A Million Laughs. Perhaps as a reflection of the changing face of comedy, in the audience were some of the genre’s leading performers today, such as Captain Otoyo (who has a show this Wednesday at the Kenya National Theatre) and several actors from Heartstrings.
Generali is no stranger to the stage, with three decades of performing under his belt and his vast experience showed in his easy execution, oscillating from Fimbo ya Nyayo-era dynamics to today’s world where even the definition of ‘Woman’ can be subject to contestation. Weaving in over an hour-long solo run, Generali’s humour is a mix of outright punchlines (the mathiokore, in case anyone dares attack him on stage a la Chris Rock), some references to why some in his community use their mother’s surname and some quick-witted jibe at Kenya’s political class.
Even as the theatrical space continues to expand, his brand of stand-up is a refined art that few dare dabble in. Most of the other comedy stand-up performances in town are variety shows that bring several acts on stage, with few exceptions such as Larry Asego’s To Laugh & To Hold. His is an act by a talented storyteller who can spin tales from everyday situations and keep an audience captured.The Kalasha Award winner has come a long way from the days when stand-up was a by-the-way act in an entertainment retinue mostly found in clubs and other entertainment spots. Then, stand-up was mostly about mimicry, accents, impressions and skits. From his days “in the trenches” fighting to have stand-up gain acceptance, he is happy to see audiences flock to shows and feels happy when the likes of Larry and Otoyo land sold-out shows. His show on Friday was therefore him coming back to a genre that perhaps should have crowned him king.
We might not have been very good, but we pioneered and we seem to have suffered the curse of pioneers in Kenya. You burn out your energy trying to prove to people this thing can work. By the time it works, you are so tired, instead of them giving it back to you they look for others and tell them, ‘Do you see what So-and-So is doing…?’Generali
He says self-effacingly, looking back at the sometimes-treacherous journey he helped trailblaze.
Following his special comeback show after half-a-decade away from the scene, Generali now intends to go on tour.
I will tour the National Theatre, maybe have three shows in Nairobi, I will tour Nakuru, I intend to tour Mombasa’s Little Theatre and I’m strictly looking for theatrical settings because I do not want whereby it seems like we’re coming on just because people are coming to have a drink and it’s a by-the-wayGenerali
He reveals.
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