Jonathan Sasha on Finding his Funny

They say laughter is the best medicine, and for playwright and activist Jonathan Solomons – stage name Jonathan Sasha – starting his own comedy career has been a part of his journey in finding himself and finding healing.

He is a 27-year-old Windhoek-born and bred writer who says he has been funny his whole life, but just now plucked up the courage to take the stage.

Jonathan Sasha says he looks up to South African funny man Marc Lottering as someone who he relates to, Nambabwean Courage the Comedian, who has given him a lot of knowledge and insight, and America’s Dave Chappelle for his often controversial material that “sometimes require deconstructing and deeper analysis”.

From the beginning of November till now, he has performed at three different shows, and each time, the crowd is left in stitches and sure they want more.

His humour is dark at times, a bit morbid, but also captivating and reflective. Like his joke about MP Jerry Ekandjo’s problematic “gay marriage, abortion and dagga” comments. Few things are off limits for him, and the gasp filled laughter from stunned audience members often seems to just fuel the creative more.

“I’ve always found comfort on and around a stage and an audience. Growing up, with many gloomy days, I never wanted to see my mother sad, so I would always try to make her smile or laugh during her down days, and I did so without having to think too much about it,” he says, adding that he never thought he would make it a ‘thing’.

What made him finally decide to take the stage was the introduction of the Real Good Chicken stand-up competition. Entering just made sense to him. He made it through the first round of joking, but with the passing of his father just before the next, he withdrew.

That did not stop him from returning soon after and performing at Vinyl’s Comedy Hour, with even moments from his dad’s funeral making it into his material.

This particular skill, to laugh through the pain, is something that made veteran funny man and MadLipz creator LloydTheComedian appreciate Jonathan Sasha’s skill.

“Most of his material is based on what he’s been through and he’s very strong. He can laugh at anything,” he says, adding that he found the newbie to be above average, with a lot of skill, and someone who has the potential to be a top comedian.

Jonathan is no stranger to creative work. He is a photographer, writer and playwright.

In an earlier project of his, the stage play ‘Die Stoep’, his humour came through, even if it was mixed into a sad story about alcoholism in his community.

At his most recent performance at the Feminist Festival, he pushed the boundaries even more.

The political issues he cares about are plenty. He is entering the scene as an openly gay act, but not only that, he works as a freelance consultant for Positive Vibes Trust’s Community-Led Monitoring and other projects across the country.

“We fight for sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescent girls and young women, sex workers, the LGBTQI+ community and people living with HIV. I also serve as a creative consultant and media liaison on health and bodily autonomy campaigns which the organisation is a part of,” he explains.

For the future, the budding entertainer would like to master the skill and learn along the way. He would also like to craft a name for himself in both theatre and film, as an aspiring screenwriter and actor.

“I want longevity in the game. I want to constantly challenge myself and not become complacent as prescribed by Namibian culture and I want to ultimately build a very loyal fanbase,” he says, adding that he hopes that as his profile grows, so will his bank account and his ability to shed light on the queer community’s fight for equality.

– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, social commentator and creative thinker. Follow her online for more.

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