‘Stand-up comedy is dying’ – Basketmouth [Video]

Image: Daily Post

In a recent interview with Arise TV, popular comedian Bright Okpocha, widely known as Basketmouth, expressed his concern about the state of stand-up comedy in Nigeria, lamenting that it is "dying."

Basketmouth highlighted the lack of structure and platform in the Nigerian comedy sector, contrasting it with the more established music and movie industries.

Basketmouth said: “My colleagues will agree with me that stand-up comedy in Nigeria is actually dying. The culture of stand-up comedy is bleeding terribly.

“You know, with music, they have their streaming platforms; they have a platform that supports what they do across the world. With movies, they have the same thing: they have the streaming platform. And Afrobeats broke into that space and made room for the movies. Unfortunately, for comedy, we don’t have any platforms. We don’t have comedy clubs; we don’t have any structure.

“In the United States, if comedians decide to go on tour, before they go on tour, they do comedy clubs across the states and try the materials repeatedly. But here in Nigeria, there’s no comedy club. There’s nowhere for you to practice your materials. Because this is an art, you can’t just create it and go on stage when you don’t know what the response is going to be like. When musicians make their songs, they call different people, A&R, and ask for their feedback before feeding it to the rest of the world. But out here, you see a lot of comedians. It’s a risky game. And they’re the ones promoting the shows, looking for sponsors. The system is not built to support comedy. A lot of newbies don’t have the platform like we had.”

Basketmouth's observation underscores the challenges faced by comedians in the country and the need for a more organized and supportive framework within the comedy scene.

The call for improved structure and platforms suggests that there is room for growth and development in the Nigerian stand-up comedy industry. This perspective from a prominent figure in the comedy scene sheds light on the current dynamics and potential areas for improvement within the entertainment sector.

Watch the full interview here:



Source: dailypost.ng

#Basketmouth
#Stand-Up Comedy
#Arise TV
#Music