Daliso to release DVD

Malawian stand-up comedian Daliso Chaponda releases his first DVD this year, when he shoots part of his shows in Zimbabwe next month.

Chaponda will hold three shows at this year’s Harare International Festival of Arts (Hifa) which runs from April 29 to May 4.

“I toured as a one-man show across the UK last year. I did 31 shows in various UK cities. The show was the legality and censorship in the UK and US. Now, I am doing the African version.

“I will film two of my three shows in Harare and edit them together plus some footage from the UK shows as special features. The DVD, which will be out any time later this year, will be 80 minutes,” explained Chaponda in an interview.

He said the African version of the one man show will be directed by one of southern Africa’s rising stand-up comedians.

“Everything will be done by the able hands of Carl Joshua Ncube, the Zimbabwean comedian I brought to Malawi for the Presidents of Laughrica tour last year. He is also a filmmaker. I am very excited to be doing this.

“In fact, I am doing 10 shows at Parkers Comedy Club at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa before the DVD is shot to polish the African material. The other acts are Joe Parker, Martin Davis, Vittorio Leornardi and Peter Hughes. Also, just that I aim to start putting out a new DVD every year, so this is a beginning,” said the comedian.

When the DVD is out, Chaponda said he will either put it straight in stores or sell the footage to Comedy Central Africa or M-net.

Recently, Chaponda appeared in a radio play he co-wrote on the BBC Radio 4, which was inspired by what happened in Malawi with two gays, Auntie Tiwo and Steven Monjeza.