Hannes Brümmer

Hannes Brümmer is a South African actor and comedian best known for playing various comedic roles.

“As one of just a handful of Afrikaans comedians Hannes is slowly carving himself a unique niche as a comic… He has also crystallised his comedy persona and the image he gives off on stage is now an intricate part of the material in a way that would be difficult to say of anyone else in South Africa.”

The comedy critic (http://letterdash.com/ComedyCritic)

ShowMe Pretoria met up with the energetic comedian to find out what he loves about Pretoria and how he keeps his audience at the edge of their seats.

1. How do you test a joke before taking it to the stage?

My wonderfully patient partner, Melodie and my beer-buddies constantly have to suffer through the initial (often unfunny) ideas, but the truth is that any joke needs to be tested on stage as quickly as possible. Even if I only think of it in my car on the way to the gig, I have to take the risk. The jokes really find their footing in performance. If they bomb it’s back to the loved ones for another round.

2. What is your favourite venue in Pretoria?

I’d be remiss if I don’t admit we need some more comedy venues in Pretoria. It feels like even bands are relying too much on the same few places. I certainly miss the good old days of the Arcadia Tings ‘n Times and Centurion’s Steak and Ale.

The State theatre’s Rendezvous has a special place in my heart and smaller venues like the Asbos Theatre are lovely. I’ve been running a small gig at the Casbah Roadhouse on Church Street the last few months and it always delivers a great audience.

3. If you weren’t a comedian what would you be?

It’s hard for me to imagine anything outside the entertainment world. If I couldn’t perform I’d probably write about people performing. Or run a comic book store.

4. Do you have a must see tourist destination in Pretoria?

There are many. I think every South African needs to visit Freedom Park (and the adjacent Voortrekker monument if it happens to be a Park Acoustics Sunday). A trip to Jan Smuts House Museum in Irene on market days is also a great weekend activity, but only if you also take a wander on the grounds itself.

While it’s not quite a tourist destination, I would recommend the Godfather Restaurant in Centurion for a steak after a day of gallivanting.

5. Do you prefer improvisation to having a script?

What I love most about Stand-up is the fact that it combines both. You have a set of scripted jokes in your head, but on any given night they get delivered differently, with input from your audience added. So you’re always on the edge of a precipice. Having said that, the challenges of bringing a scripted play to life is nothing to scoff at.

6. What would you like your fans to know about you, that they don’t know from your comedy?

I’ve got fans?!? I’ve been obsessed with comic books and superheroes my entire life. They should also be! My hot tip at the moment for the novice comic book reader would be Joe Hill’s Locke and Key. The final installation has just hit the shelves and I’m dying to get my grubby paws on it. Best place to buy would be Steampunk Comics at the Centurion lifestyle centre.

Find out more about Hannes and his upcoming shows by following him on Twitter @Maaskaas and Facebook – Hannes Brummer .

For Pretoria events visit the ShowMe Pretoria Events & Entertainment Page.