The many faces of Anne Kansiime this Ugandan beauty caught up with us while she is in preparation for her first ever one woman show this March aptly titled "I AM KANSIIME " having travelled around the world an with a gazzilion followers on social media and crazy schedule , we are lucky Anne had a moment to talk to us and true to fashion leave nuggets of wisdom for those who are current Closet comedians and see them selves on a stage one day. Anne we at #GirlsKillingIt #Salute You
How did you get into standup Comedy ?
I was in a comedy group that used to do Sketch comedy we have been together for 10 years now . One day was invited to perform alongside a fellow comedian called Cotilda Inapo ( She is now my creative director ) on stage at the time the other members of our team were not available . Cotilda told me we would be on stage together , she would crack a joke and i would crack a joke together ( I think Cotilda believed i could be a standup comedian before i did) . But what then happened was when i was on stage I got so carried away that i didn’t even give Cotilda a chance to speak and fast forward before i knew it i was being asked to perform standup comedy on stage, and getting to travel around with it . But i completely love being a comedian !
You have a gazzilion followers/fans how do you manage all the attention?
Well the followers and fans its not like they are following me literally on the street it would be weird if they were people that followed me literally in the street lol. But i realise that you fans need you to be consistent they need to see that you are a normal human being you can’t just be sharing with them about your shows , you regulate and you share a little about your personal information just so your ninjas know you are normal and that you also have a bad day and feel sad and are also affected by things that happen in the world just like everyone else. I have tried to be as normal as possible to my ninja’s and just so they know they have a friend.
What do you love and hate the most about being a standup comedian ?
I love being an actress , but being a standup comedian like oh gosh how can i say it. With my sketch comedy we are a whole team on stage so if for some reason we are not funny we are all in it together, we can support each other and encourage each other to do better next time . However when its just me doing standup , its more devastating when you crack a joke and there is silence in the room , so i feel with standup comedy there is no room for just in case or maybe either you have done it or haven’t and you have no one to blame except yourself . So standup comedy just puts spotlight on you and makes sure it increases the light to the point that it blinds you. What i love really is that you have the power to make a name as an individual , because if you are funny you are funny and people through your jokes will remember you and also i feel you get to explain yourself for once and i think everyone in this world would love to have the opportunity to do just that lol Like why i am short and dark and why i got married and i am scared most of the time that Ojok will wake up one day and change his mind , things like that .
What advice would you give a woman wanting to become a standup comedian ?
Instead of woman i would say a person , i would say if you are going into comedy to make money i think you are doing it for all the wrong reasons. But if you are going into it for your passion and you think you have it in you to bring joy into people’s life with your laughter then i believe you are good to go .I believe its a ministry because once you get on stage and make people laugh you lift a burden of their shoulders and helps them forget their troubles even if its just for a moment. Right now the problem we have is that you have people who are trying to be comedians , not for the art or the effort or the work that is put into it but what they assume us as the comedians who are in it have become, they think that they will make so much money and become like Anne Kansiime , they assume Kansiime has so much money she can not even sleep now thats a lot of assumption and assumption is the mother of all mess ups. So for all women out there who want to be comedians its so very possible , its not easy but very possible i don’t want anyone to think I’m unique or different just that its possible because i did it you can do it , perhaps even better than me. I see people wanting to be like me so i think if they stop trying to be like me and just try and be the best version of themselves that is the best advice i can give.
I was in a comedy group that used to do Sketch comedy we have been together for 10 years now . One day was invited to perform alongside a fellow comedian called Cotilda Inapo ( She is now my creative director ) on stage at the time the other members of our team were not available . Cotilda told me we would be on stage together , she would crack a joke and i would crack a joke together ( I think Cotilda believed i could be a standup comedian before i did) . But what then happened was when i was on stage I got so carried away that i didn’t even give Cotilda a chance to speak and fast forward before i knew it i was being asked to perform standup comedy on stage, and getting to travel around with it . But i completely love being a comedian !
You have a gazzilion followers/fans how do you manage all the attention?
Well the followers and fans its not like they are following me literally on the street it would be weird if they were people that followed me literally in the street lol. But i realise that you fans need you to be consistent they need to see that you are a normal human being you can’t just be sharing with them about your shows , you regulate and you share a little about your personal information just so your ninjas know you are normal and that you also have a bad day and feel sad and are also affected by things that happen in the world just like everyone else. I have tried to be as normal as possible to my ninja’s and just so they know they have a friend.
What do you love and hate the most about being a standup comedian ?
I love being an actress , but being a standup comedian like oh gosh how can i say it. With my sketch comedy we are a whole team on stage so if for some reason we are not funny we are all in it together, we can support each other and encourage each other to do better next time . However when its just me doing standup , its more devastating when you crack a joke and there is silence in the room , so i feel with standup comedy there is no room for just in case or maybe either you have done it or haven’t and you have no one to blame except yourself . So standup comedy just puts spotlight on you and makes sure it increases the light to the point that it blinds you. What i love really is that you have the power to make a name as an individual , because if you are funny you are funny and people through your jokes will remember you and also i feel you get to explain yourself for once and i think everyone in this world would love to have the opportunity to do just that lol Like why i am short and dark and why i got married and i am scared most of the time that Ojok will wake up one day and change his mind , things like that .
What advice would you give a woman wanting to become a standup comedian ?
Instead of woman i would say a person , i would say if you are going into comedy to make money i think you are doing it for all the wrong reasons. But if you are going into it for your passion and you think you have it in you to bring joy into people’s life with your laughter then i believe you are good to go .I believe its a ministry because once you get on stage and make people laugh you lift a burden of their shoulders and helps them forget their troubles even if its just for a moment. Right now the problem we have is that you have people who are trying to be comedians , not for the art or the effort or the work that is put into it but what they assume us as the comedians who are in it have become, they think that they will make so much money and become like Anne Kansiime , they assume Kansiime has so much money she can not even sleep now thats a lot of assumption and assumption is the mother of all mess ups. So for all women out there who want to be comedians its so very possible , its not easy but very possible i don’t want anyone to think I’m unique or different just that its possible because i did it you can do it , perhaps even better than me. I see people wanting to be like me so i think if they stop trying to be like me and just try and be the best version of themselves that is the best advice i can give.