Stephen Chifunyise Theatre Corridors
The Simuka Comedy team comprising stand-up comedians from Bulawayo and Harare will next month undertake a seven-city tour. Titled “Go Worries Go: Joke of a National Team Comedy Tour 2012”, the comedy show is intended to be “a celebration of everyday Zimbabwean life and a close scrutiny of social values, tribal and racial issues in a comic manner”.
All the comic acts are intended to contribute to national healing “through the best medicine which has been used before penicillin or juju, the medicine known only as laughter.” The theme “Go Worries Go” has been  “borrowed from Zimbabwe’s national soccer team’s pa-off line, “Go Warriors Go” and that the decision to use a soccer theme came from the realisation that football “is one sport that has united Zimbabweans through good or bad times”.
The Simuka Comedy tour also indicated the concept of “Go Worries Go” is modelled on South Africa’s star-studded comedy show created for the Soccer World Cup in 2010 as “Bafunny Bafunny” whose material was derived from the South African national soccer team “Bafana Bafana”.
Under the leadership of the Godfather of Zimbabwean stand–up comedy, Edgar Langeveldt, “Go Worries Go” will feature Doc Vikela, Clive “Yeye” Chigubu, Toropito, Ntando Van Moyos, Simba The Comic King, and Q The Boss in for performances in Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo and Harare.
Simuka Comedy team has developed the tour with capacity to bring on board partnership and sponsorship of the business sector that will benefit from brand promotion on all marketing materials to be used by Simuka Comedy on tour especially on its banners, stage and regalia of the comics. The major sponsor of the tour will have the option of branding the show and to have company logo on “Go Worries Go” flag.
The comedy team is also able to produce “tailor-made comedy material” to market sponsors’ brands as well as to organise special comedy shows for workers, guests and clients of sponsoring companies. The team also envisages partnerships with colleges, universities, hotels social clubs and entertainment venues. Entertainment promoters in all the towns and cities to be visited have been encouraged to collaborate with Simuka Comedy in mounting shows that feature  stand-up comedians and musical groups.
Simuka Comedy has called on venue owners, companies, brand promoters and entertainment to express their interest in collaborating with the team as well as coming forward with proposals for partnerships through simukacomedy@gmail.com.
Up-coming comedians in the cities and towns on tour are encouraged to use the same platform address to establish links with Simuka Comedy.
The creation of Simuka Comedy in June 2011, as a comedy club and platform has led to the establishment of collaborative group of full-time comedy professionals who are now earning a living from presenting comedy acts at at wedding ceremonies and other social events as comic masters of ceremonies. Equally critical in the promotion of stand-up comedy was the founding of the Zimbabwe Comedy Festival in 2010 under the directorship of Edgar Langeveldt.
Unfortunately, like all other performing arts ventures in Zimbabwe, Simuka Comedy is facing the challenge of the scarcity of venues for regular performances. Venues that are available are either too small or are located in environments not easily accessible through public transport in the evenings.
Born out of Langeveldt pioneer comedy shows in 1997 first at Theatre in the Park and later at the Book Café, this brand  of  theatre has demonstrated great potential to be a popular, vibrant and viable entertainment industry.
Langeveldt’s winning of Prince Claus Award in 2006 inspired other Zimbabwean comedians such as Michael Kudakwashe, Victor Mavedzenge and Vusi Moyo, who were featuring in straight theatre, films and television drama to recognise the great potential of stand-up comedy. The emergence of Joshua Carl Ncube in 2010 raised Zimbabwean comedy to dizzy heights when he successfully crossed national borders with his comedy show “The Big Announcement”, which consolidated the image of stand-up comedy as a viable and appreciated theatre.
Simuka Comedy has declared correctly that “stand-up comedy audiences have increased ever since 1997 with Zimbabweans of all races and ethnicities coming out to celebrate their differences through laughter.” It is hoped that this tour will enhance this dramatic growth in stand-up comedy audiences in Zimbabwe.