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Crazy Normal

Trevor Noah

Showmax · 2011 · 1 h 39 min

A hometown farewell hour filmed just before his move to America.

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

Trevor Noah is a mimic by trade, but his impressions serve a highly functional purpose. The routine relies heavily on his vocal control to map out the absurdities of post-apartheid South Africa. He reconstructs President Jacob Zuma’s halting, punctuation-defying speeches, acts out the internal panic of a flight crew hitting severe turbulence, and compares American airport security to South Africa’s relaxed honesty system where guards wield metal detector wands like Excalibur.

Filmed at the Nelson Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg in 2011, the set captures the comedian at a distinct transition point. Billed as a farewell tour before he moved to the United States, the hour is steeped in local references but built with the mechanics of global arena comedy.

The darkest material is handled with a strangely light touch. Noah closes by recounting the time his mother miraculously survived being shot in the head by his stepfather. Instead of pausing for sympathy, he focuses on the bureaucratic nightmare of public hospitals, the 24,000 rand medical bill, and his younger brother getting angry about losing PlayStation privileges during the crisis.

The set list

3 bits

  1. Singing intro / opening musical segment

    Noah sings during the opening sequence of the special.

  2. South African Indians

    Noah performs observational humor about Indians in South Africa talking fast.

  3. Jacob Zuma on Facebook and singing the national anthem

    Noah satirizes former South African President Jacob Zuma using Facebook and singing.

How it plays

Tone
Satirical, provocative, good-humored, and rooted in South African observational humor.
On stage
Confident, charming, and acting as an equal-opportunity offender unafraid of tackling racial caricatures and sensitive political topics.
Pace
Demonstrated marked improvement in comedic timing, delivery, and improvisational rhythm.
About
race and racial tropes, politics, corruption, poverty, South African society and culture

What the critics said

Regarded in academic and cultural commentary as an example of sharp political and social satire in post-apartheid South Africa, exhibiting polished delivery and improvisation.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: themoviedb.org, cineavis.com, imdb.com, actoragecheck.com, letterboxd.com, chortle.co.uk, moyamagazine.com, afribary.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Performed in South Africa during a period when the country's reputation as a 'miracle' democracy was grappling with persistent poverty, racial inequalities, and social and political issues.

Details

Released
Runtime
1 h 39 min
Where
Showmax
Director
David Paul Meyer
Topics
After
African American (2013)

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