As a teenager in high school, Eugene Mathews used comedy as a defence mechanism to hide his shyness.
Fast forward to today, his defence mechanism has led him to a career as a stand-up comedian and entertainer.
The Kensington resident says putting a smile on people’s faces has always pleased him.
“My love for comedy started in high school when I realised a sense of humour could be used as a defence mechanism. I remember being painfully shy, but with my friends, I was a lot more extroverted. Making people laugh was always something I enjoyed doing, but I was always careful not to draw too much attention to myself, so the jokes were always between a small number of people.”
Mathews (40) believes relaying relevant content keeps the audience captivated and entertained.
“An ability to tell a good story is always a plus, but when people tell me afterwards they know someone who reminds them of a character I was talking about, that for me is such a win. We are all connected somehow.”
He explains that being a comedian comes with challenges, the biggest being when “you’re not having a good performance”, a challenge he says still makes him nervous before appearing on stage.
“Not having a good performance as a stand-up comedian hurts in a way that I do not have the language to describe. I fear that hurt, it damages me, so I work very hard to not die on stage and that’s a lot of self-inflicted pressure. I am a lot better about managing the nerves now, I feel like I’d be worse without the nerves.”
He says being well-prepared is key.
“I always try to arrive early to check out the venue and the audience, then I put together a set in my head, manage the nerves and then do what I was booked to do. Listening to Lil’ Kim on the way to a gig helps a lot too.”
The LGBTQIA+ activist explains that during the hard lockdown, in 2021, he had to find other means to generate an income. He managed to start a driving school, Liberty Driving Academy.
“After passing my driver’s test back in 2001, I have been teaching friends and family members to drive. In 2021, I gave it a try as my day job, quickly falling in love with the job to the point where I love doing it as much as I enjoy being a performer. I now find myself owning, running, and teaching at Liberty Driving Academy. There are a lot of similarities between the two vocations.”
Mathews’ local hero is Marc Lottering. He says he feels honoured each time they share a stage.
“It blows my mind that I get to share the stage with him every now and again and at the end of every performance I see of him I always tell myself ‘You still have a long way to go Gina’, I am so motivated by Marc.”
Mathews appeals to people to support comedians. “I do not think there’s enough support for comedians in Cape Town, but that’s the nature of this business. People can hear singers perform the same song multiple times and they will love it every time, but listening to the same joke repeatedly will never have the same effect. Getting people to come to shows is a lot more difficult nowadays, life is expensive. So the luxury of going out to a show is not something everyone can afford.”
Mathews advises aspiring comedians to reach for their dreams.
“Be funny first. Comedy will give you whatever you desire from it, but the job is to be hilarious on that stage, everything else comes afterwards. Give it a try, if the bug bites, then keep at it, in the beginning, you will give and give but when comedy starts giving back it will all be worth it.”
