Veteran actor and comedian Philip Luswata has weighed in on the challenges facing Uganda’s comedy industry, arguing that the decline stems from comedians abandoning the intellectual discipline and research that the craft demands.
Speaking in an interview, Luswata stressed that comedy is far more than simply cracking jokes.
According to him, making people laugh is one of the most complex forms of entertainment because it requires intelligence, vulnerability, and a deep understanding of human behavior.
We’ve forgotten that comedy is a very intellectual craft. It’s a very intelligent craft. It’s very easy to make people cry because I can tell a story and you cry. But making someone laugh has a pattern.
Luswata noted that many comedians have lost the vulnerability that makes comedy relatable, adding that they often assume a joke that entertains one group of people will automatically resonate with everyone else.
The issue is people dropped vulnerability. Comedy is a very intelligent and vulnerable craft, so you must be vulnerable. You can’t be overconfident because everyone has their own sense of humour. Our comedians got used to believing that if a performance excites one section of people, it will automatically excite others, which is not true.
He further blamed the industry’s struggles on a lack of research and preparation, saying many performers fail to study their audiences or carefully develop their material.
According to Luswata, the best comedians are those who can observe ordinary, everyday situations and creatively transform them into hilarious performances that audiences can relate to.
They don’t do research. What makes people laugh is your ability to turn an everyday thing into something funny that sparks laughter. A good comedy performance requires proper setup and well-crafted skits.
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