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Brick Wall Comedy

Live in New York

Loyiso Gola

Vimeo · 2016 · 44 min

A South African satirist takes on American democracy and subways.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Loyiso Gola bypasses the easy tourist observations to deliver a dry, measured critique of American cultural ignorance and political structures. Rather than marveling at skyscrapers, the South African satirist uses his home country’s history as a benchmark to question the assumptions behind American democracy and racial dynamics. He compares the systems of both nations, pointing out how local absurdities, from the chaos of the New York subway system to U.S. election cycles, look equally ridiculous under a bit of scrutiny. Filmed in Brooklyn, the special premiered at the 2016 New York Comedy Festival and was released as the first traditional solo stand-up special from Vimeo Originals. Gola was already a major figure in South African media at the time, having hosted twelve seasons of his twice-Emmy-nominated satirical series Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola. This debut U.S. hour served as an international calling card, introducing American audiences to his relaxed stage presence and helping establish his status as a global touring act.

The set list

2 bits

  1. Reflecting on apartheid, language, and social interaction

    Explores how the legacy of apartheid shaped the languages he speaks and the ways people interact, bringing an outsider's lens to racial dynamics.

  2. Calling out cultural ignorance, democracy, and New York subways

    Uses a candid, straightforward comedic approach to find absurdity and silliness in tense political concepts and everyday American urban life.

How it plays

Tone
Intellectual, candid, conversational, and taboo-breaking.
On stage
Frank, candid, and taboo-breaking; blends an intellectual outsider perspective with accessible silliness, addressing sensitive topics conversationally rather than aggressively.
About
race and racial commentary, apartheid, politics and democracy, cultural ignorance, New York subways, language and identity

What the critics said

Praised for blending sharp day-to-day observations with intellect and frank social commentary, presenting a fresh international outsider perspective to American audiences.

In the room: The Bushwick crowd was highly receptive and reportedly onboard from the first word.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: indiewire.com, vulture.com, animeperson.com, decider.com, sinemecra.com.

Backstory

Raised in South Africa where apartheid ended when he was nine, Gola grew up immersed in American pop culture from the outside while helping pioneer and build the post-apartheid South African stand-up comedy industry.

Details

Released
Taped
House of Yes, New York
Runtime
44 min
Where
Vimeo
Topics
After
Comedians of the World (2019)

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