The Almost Perfect Podcast

Sophie Joans is a theatre-maker, comedian, and the kind of performer who doesn’t just toe the line — she cartwheels over it. From playing the devil in a satirical German production where Elon Musk stands in for Faust, to getting her tits out for laughs at the Armchair, Sophie’s work blurs the boundaries between clowning, comedy, and full-blown chaos.In this episode, we talk about Sophie’s recent international tour, creepy encounters in Germany, and why she believes live theatre will always be “AI-proof.” We also get into the origins of her production company Spark in the Dark, how it launched 14 shows at the National Arts Festival (7 of which won awards), and why building community beats chasing algorithms. Along the way, there are stories about Andrew Tate-inspired satire, nipple-related nicknames, and the ethics of turning exes into punchlines. Enjoy.Keep up with Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solo_joans/Check out Spark in the Dark: https://www.instagram.com/sparkinthedarksa/Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reflections on death and dying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melt Sieberhagen has been part of South Africa’s entertainment industry for over two decades - acting in beloved Afrikaans TV shows, performing stand-up, and dabbling in everything from insert directing to voice work. But beyond the credits, Melt is a sharp social observer and cultural critic who’s unafraid to talk about the complexities of identity, privilege, and navigating a creative career in a country as layered as South Africa.In this episode, we reflect on Melt’s comedy roots, the absurdities of Afrikaans conservatism, and what it means to perform for an audience that doesn’t always want to be challenged. We dive into uncomfortable truths about race, language, and culture - from Afrikaner myth-making to the politics of pride and prejudice - all while remembering that the first job of a comic is to make people laugh. Enjoy.Keep up with Melt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meltsieb/Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm still in the trenches so we're running back this interview with Muzi from 2019."Muzi is a musician who was successful long before you (or I) knew who he was. The DJ, producer, singer, and recent father is starting to blow up in South Africa, but he’s been making moves around the world for the better part of this decade. Muzi is the musician who I’ve interviewed the most in my career. His continued growth has been a beautiful thing to witness and is something I draw inspiration from, from time to time.In this episode, we get into going where you’re wanted and finding your tribe by being yourself. We get into how Muzi’s navigated the music industry and avoided most of its pitfalls by continually reinvesting in himself. Muzi explains why he dropped out of med school and how it lead to him diving headfirst into making music. We also talk about necessity being the mother of invention when a set getting shortened lead to a whole new element being added to Muzi’s repertoire. There’s a lot of advice here for up-and-coming independent artists of all industries but musicians, in particular, should enjoy Muzi’s perspective on “The Industry” and his career. Enjoy."Keep up with Muzi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvziou/Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for those of you wanting new interviews, I've been hella busy lately. So, we're digging in the archives once again to bring you one of my favourite interviews, now with slightly better sound quality and a less annoying introduction."Loyiso Madinga is a comedian, actor, writer, and MC. Loyiso is one of four South Africans to have a half-hour special with Netflix as part of their Comedians of the World series. He’s the African correspondent for Trevor Noah’s Daily Show. Locally, he’s featured on LNN with Loyiso Gola and Bantu Hour and has two one-man shows under his belt. Oh, and he stars in the upcoming Netflix original series Queen Sono with Pearl Thusi. He’s achieved more than most in the SA entertainment industry but that doesn’t mean everything is going great for him.As you’ll learn on this podcast, success can lead to self-doubt and insecurities that can be debilitating. While from the outside it looks like Loyiso has a career many would be jealous of, internally there are struggles that many of us will find relatable. This is a candid and open discussion about what success really means as a South African artist from someone who is well on his way to greatness but is scared he may never achieve it."Keep up with Loyiso on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loyisomadinga/Support the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Things have been a little slow at Almost Perfect headquarters so I decided to re-release an old episode from the archives with updated audio. The original Loyiso Gola episode didn't have the best sound quality, but thankfully technology has gotten quite a bit better since then and I've been able to spruce up the audio a bit. I'll be back with new episodes soon enough, but for now, I hope you enjoy this blast from the past."Loyiso Gola is a comedian. The twice Emmy-nominated host of Late Night News with Loyiso Gola has had a phenomenal career. He's travelled the world telling jokes and earned many milestones that used to seem out of reach for South African comedians. He's performed on Live at the Apollo, was a guest on QI, and recently dropped a one-hour special on Netflix that he's been working on for the last six years called Unlearning.On this episode of the podcast, we get into the intricacies and nuances of learning and unlearning. Loyiso is a deep-thinker who sets aside time to just ponder about the world, and we get to enjoy some of the fruits of that pondering. We discuss the value of extending empathy and understanding to people we disagree with. We get into balancing career and personal life and spending one's time intentionally. And we learn some behind the scenes details about how Unlearning got put together. Enjoy."Keep up with Loyiso Gola on Instagram.Support the podcast on Patreon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yaaseen Barnes returns for the second half of our rather extensive chat. This time we get into the history of the Cape Town comedy scene and the important role the Armchair Theatre has played in South African comedy, we hear how Yaaseen handles the responsibility of being a prominent Muslim figure in typically haram spaces, and we discuss Zionism in South African comedy. Enjoy.Keep up with Yaaseen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ya_a_seen_him/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey team, this week was a bit hectic what with me doing my solo show 'It's Not the End of the World', so I didn't have time to finish editing the second half of the Yaaseen Barnes interview.But, since I promised an episode this week, I figured I'd share my experience of doing the show on Wednesday and put it in the main feed instead of releasing it as a Patreon exclusive.Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Yaaseen Barnes has had a career most comedians would be jealous of, yet he didn't pull the ladder up behind him and instead has helped the Cape Town scene climb to new heights. As the Director of the Jive Comedy Championship, Yaaseen is able to focus his passion for building up the comedians around him. Comedy has given Yaaseen an incredible life, with just a matric, so he feels compelled to share the love and the stages.In this episode, we hear about Yaaseen's approach to directing the Jive Funny Championship, we get into the necessity of leveraging social media as a stand-up comedian, and we discuss the role of competitions and awards in the comedy industry. Enjoy.Keep up with Yaaseen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ya_a_seen_him/Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfectBuy tickets to It's Not The End of the World: https://groundculturecafe.com/event/its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Colin Moss knows all too well that fame is a prison. Thankfully, it's a prison he managed to escape when moving to New York to pursue his acting career. Colin took a massive risk by giving up a rather successful career on TV in South Africa to start at the bottom in one of the most cutthroat cities to be an actor. Judging by his extensive IMDB page, which features credits on Black Mirror, Jessica Jones, and The Deuce, it's a risk that's paid off, although it took a few lucky breaks and many failures to get to a place where he's consistently booked and busy.In this episode, we get into Colin's early days as a stand-up comedian and TV presenter, we discuss the dreaded Heat magazine era of fame in South Africa, and we learn about the realities of giving up local fame for international success. Enjoy.Keep up with Colin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colmoss/Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfectBuy tickets to It's Not The End of the World: https://groundculturecafe.com/event/its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The multi-talented Andie Reeves has lived the kind of life where she just casually drops details that some people would write whole books about as if they're just backstory. Like the time she sailed halfway across the world on a catamaran as a private tutor, which she casually mentions while discussing the award-wining Two Freaks Notice podcast. The writer, podcaster, comedian, and crafter has kept herself busy and found a few ways to contribute meaningfully to the world. Like the six years she spent as a Montessori teacher, writing about sustainability in fashion, and starting the Cape Town Craft Club. Keep up with Andie: https://www.instagram.com/andiereeves/Listen to Two Freaks Notice: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/two-freaks-notice/id1625873687Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfectBuy tickets to It's Not The End of the World: https://groundculturecafe.com/event/its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey Almost Perfectionists,As some of you know, I occasionally drop bonus episodes of the podcast over on Patreon.If you'd dig to hear them, you can sign up for free.Here's a taste of what you're missing.Listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Khanyisa JamJam aka JamJam The Comedian is the biggest cheerleader of all things South African, but especially sports. Who knew you could go from leading war cries at school to kicking it with the biggest names in South African sports, and selling out comedy shows in SA and abroad? JamJam's success is no fluke though as he's worked hard at being consistent both online and on stage. While everything seems to be clicking into place for JamJam, it hasn't always been an easy ride.In this episode, we learn why JamJam got a degree in Politics and how it helps with his comedy, we get an honest account of his struggles with addiction, and we have a rather frank discussion about race and privilege in South Africa. Enjoy.Keep up with JamJam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamjam_the_comedian/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfectBuy tickets to Bob's WIP performance of It's Not The End of the World: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/307177-its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/#/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The South African comedy community is in mourning as we all found out about the passing of Ebenhaezer Dibakwane this weekend. Ebenhaezer was beloved by everyone in SA comedy and touched the lives of countless people with his infectious energy. Eb was a truly original thinker who never shied away from his truth.I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Eb at his flat in Joburg in early 2020 before COVID hit. To this day, it's one of the most honest interviews I've ever done and has stuck with me ever since. We do speak rather candidly about some very dark topics, so this may be a bit too heavy for some people to listen to right now. Still, I think it's important to know who Eb was and how he thought, and I think this conversation helps do that through his own words.The original interview has been edited to sound a bit better as the original recording isn't great. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not many people in comedy have an engineering degree to fall back on (they're usually doctors), but Céline Tshika is, uh, built different. You probably know Céline from her viral musical sketches that have skyrocketed her to online fame, but those videos are the culmination of years of experimenting and growing as a multi-faceted artist. After making her parents happy by earning an engineering degree, Céline ventured to the Cape Town of USA, Los Angeles, and studied acting, where she created, wrote and starred in her award-winning comedy web series, Jess Goes West. Now she's back in the Los Angeles of SA and combining her love of theatre, music, and comedy with her debut solo show, Bad African.In this episode, we hear how things literally changed over night for Céline and discuss the pressures of delivering a great live show when you've built an audience online. We get into Céline's journey with religion and the anxiety of talking about it on stage in a typically conservative country. And we learn about the realities of going viral on the wrong parts of the internet. Enjoy.Keep up with Céline on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celinetshika/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/almostperfectBuy tickets to Bob's WIP performance of It's Not The End of the World: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/307177-its-not-the-end-of-the-world-bob-perfect/#/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite being called a "gimmick act" by older comedians early in his comedy journey, Phil de Lange has had a career many of them would be jealous of. He has a Comics Choice Award under his belt, performed as part of Trevor Noah's Nation Wild tour, and regularly headlines shows all across the country. All that while producing the breakfast show on Smile FM, and putting together his podcast, Petty Crime South Africa, which won the SA Podcasting Award for best comedy podcast. As an alt music scenester from a small city, Phil and Bob share many similarities, which makes Phil the perfect guy to give Bob tips on how to navigate his recent move to Cape Town.In this episode, we hear how Phil and Bob were both at the same small punk festival in Bloemfontein, we discuss the surprisingly controversial topic of musical comedy and whether or not Phil sees his ukulele as a crutch, and we gush about our mutual love of Marc Maron and audio-only podcasting. Enjoy.Keep up with Phil on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeyourphil/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Di Frost is one half of the team behind Comedy on Kloof, a queer and women friendly weekly comedy gig in Cape Town that recently celebrated it's second birthday. She's also a creative strategist and content creator who helps other creative types with their online presence through Frost Creative. Oh, and she's double jointed, which, oddly enough, helped her when she was having a stroke. She'll explain how on the podcast. In this podcast we get into the highs and lows of running a queer and women friendly gig in a typically masculine industry, we get some tips and tricks on how to make your TikTok pop, and we learn how she found out that her closet was more of a glass cabinet. Enjoy.Follow Di on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/difrost_/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know what they say, it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. Comedian and actor Jaryd Pillay is living proof of the adage. With a decade of performing stand-up comedy under his belt, Jaryd finally had a breakthrough year in 2024 where everything he'd been working on started to click into place. He won the Jive Funny Championship after years of not making it past the first round, which saw him performing to hundreds of people at the Baxter every night for nearly a month at the Jive Comedy Festival. He's also crafted his solo show The Passion of the Curry to a point where standing ovations are a regular occurrence, and his weekly gig at Ground Culture is one of the most popular in Cape Town.In this episode, we hear about how he got dumped on the way to perform at the National Arts Fest, his disastrous Durban debut and triumphant return, and how he became the Ferryman in the Resident Evil TV series. Enjoy.Keep up with Jaryd on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatraaj/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Anyway, I'm moving to Cape Town.See you soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loopy is a local legend. If you spent any amount of time at The Winston Pub in Durban, or Lefty's in Cape Town, there's no doubt Loopy would have hustled a sip of your drink at least once. Loopy has fully lived the skollie punk life, engaging in debauchery and crashing on couches around the country as a member of one of Durban's most chaotic bands, Fruits & Veggies. These days, she passes for a respectable member of society with a journalism degree under her belt and a writing portfolio established at The Lake.In this episode, we reminisce over the glory (citation needed) days of Durban's alternative scene and The Winston Pub. We hear about the rise and fall of Fruits and Veggies. And we learn how Loopy became the unlikely manager of Lefty's. Enjoy.Keep up with Loopy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/looptroop021/Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/almostperfect Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.