If I fail, I must fail gloriously, says comedy queen Tumi Morake

South Africa's queen of comedy, Tumi Morake. (Photo: Supplied)

4 Oct 2024

The steady emergence of women in the industry throughout the years is something the entertainer takes immense pride in. The comedy industry, in her eyes, has been ahead of its time because of the community and camaraderie among its men and women.

Let’s be honest, comedy is hit or miss. And there is nothing more cringeworthy than having to sit through someone who thinks they are funny and wastes all their “Dad jokes” on an audience when they could use them to score brownie points to win over their stepkids.

Tumi Morake has never fallen into that category. One of South Africa’s queens of comedy has always brought panache to her work. With the perfect blend of thought-provoking issues dashed with s***s and giggles, she is undoubtedly a seasoned pro.

Before Morake headlined South Africa’s Best Comedy Experience at the Joburg Theatre on 22 September, she warmly reflected on how far comedy has come in Mzansi.

“It’s quite a thing… when you remember when you were starting out and you could only do one or two gigs a month because there was hardly any place to perform. But now, you must pick a day in the week to go play. It’s really an exciting place.”

Steady emergence of women in the industry

The steady emergence of women in the industry throughout the years is something Morake takes immense pride in. The comedy industry, in her eyes, has been ahead of its time because of the community and camaraderie among its men and women.

“The credit I want to give is to the men in the industry, because as the ones who dominate the space they have made sure there is space for women to be free.”

Exercising their freedom of expression on these types of platforms has seen her and Celeste Ntuli, among others, illustrate the vastness of womanhood through their work.

“A female voice in this country will always be something fresh. You can’t ever predict what you’re going to get on stage – we aren’t the stock standard type of women performing, not as women, but as funny people.”

South Africa's queen of comedy, Tumi Morake. (Photo: Supplied)

In a world filled with unqualified critics and cancel culture merchants, comedians have experienced more blowback than ever before, with varying implications depending on their gender.

“We (women) can’t quite get away with what the guys get away with, to a degree. At some point there’s a line,” the comedian-cum-actor laments. Cutting through that noise means knowing who she is, and that she needn’t represent everyone’s interests.

“I’ve decided I’m an old-school comedian. I don’t worry if they are going to cancel me or not. You must decide whether you’re going to a comedy show or a TED Talk. I’m there to highlight something we all have a perspective on, and we can all walk away from it, whether we agree or disagree, and laugh at it.”

Self-assurance

That is a self-assurance built over years of uncontrollable laughter and deadpan stares. Each moment has fortified her standing as an absolute powerhouse and prolific entertainer.

From comedy shows to radio and television, both on camera and behind the scenes, Morake has done it all and continues to do so – but with a few changes over the years.

“I’m realising that the difference between when I started out in my career and where I am now is that I’m not chasing.”

Lessons have been plentiful for the multi-talented artist. Failure is a part of the comedy that is life, but Morake’s perspective is what has made her who she is.

“I’m trying things out and I’ve decided that if I fail, I must fail gloriously.”

She describes her latest challenge as a comedic scriptwriter as yet another reminder of the longest lesson she has had to learn throughout her illustrious career – trusting her voice.

It sounds crazy to even consider how someone as accomplished as she is endures the same insecurities and challenges that we morbidly unfunny people have. But her relatability is what has always made her stand out at her stand-up shows.

It’s no surprise that her advice to young women in the industry is this:

“There’s a reason people remember your name – it’s because of that voice. The minute you betray that voice and try to have the voice people expect, you’re going to have a big problem.

“You need to treat yourself as a business and treat this as a choice of career.”

Morake has made her choice and South Africa is all the better, or should I say funnier, for it. DM

S’bo Gyre is multidisciplinary artist based in Johannesburg.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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South Africa

Steady emergence of women in the industry

Self-assurance