Trevor Noah – Lost In Translation

Opera House

Saturday 25th October

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I am not someone who particularly enjoys live stand-up comedy, in fact, including this show, I have been to a total of 3 live stand-up shows in my life. Part of my reason for avoiding them is the “pressure” I feel to laugh, even when I do not find something funny. The worst is when comedians revert to telling explicitly sexualised jokes, or jokes at the expense of an unsuspecting audience member. So it was with some trepidation that I went to see I Trevor Noah – Lost in Translation and it was with some relief I found myself in good seats, but 8 rows back from the front of the stage.

I was quite excited waiting for the show to start as a large proportion of the South African ex-pats now living in Wellington had turned out and greeted Noah with rapturous applause when he came on stage. I need not have feared, Noah’s ability to find humour in everyday situations and his sharp social commentary, was witty and perceptive. Whilst Noah did discuss current world events (including Ebola, the G-20 Summit, New Zealand Immigration and the Australian Terror Alert status), there was a strong South African theme (Nelson Mandela, Oscar Pistorius, vuvuzelas and crime) to the show, which I enjoyed.

Noah’s ability to capture accents and use them to emphasise his stories was brilliant! My favourite moment was his recounting of Mandela’s funeral and the controversy with the interpreter for the deaf, Thamsanqa Jantjie. Noah acted out the various world leaders and dignitaries standing up to speak and then Jantjie translating it into his made-up sign language. Whilst at times his humour and jokes were pretty close to the bone, I never felt that it was cruel and he had a good balance between making fun of other cultures and peoples (e.g. the New Zealand accent and weather, the increase of China Towns in cities throughout the world) and South African culture, customs and people.

The show was 90 minutes and there was never a dull or uncomfortable moment. I had, on more than one occasion, tears running down my cheeks and a sore stomach from laughing. From what I gathered, the audience also loved it and were disappointed that Noah did not come back for a curtain call. As I walked out of the near packed Opera House, I could hear everyone around me recounting and laughing at their favourite moments in the show. Trevor Noah – Lost In Translation was a great night out and, if all stand-up comedians were like him, I would definitely go more frequently to live comedy!