One fan at a time this lady is causing ripples in the Zimbabwe as the only woman currently performing on the comedy scene. Still green and learning her way Diana is one to look out for . #GirlsKillingIt caught up with her from her hometown in Bulawayo here is what she had to say !!
How did you get into Standup Comedy and How long have you been performing?
I started trying my hand at standup comedy after meeting up with fellow comedians Clive Chigubhu and Ntando Van Moyo during a filming project in 2011 .
I rehearsed with them a bit then i left the country and went to work in South Africa ,upon returning back to Zimbabwe in 2013 the guys challenged me to perform on a stage in front of an audience and i did.
What do you love most about being a standup comedian ?
Mostly because i get to make people laugh and being a very expressive and talkative person , its a good way to pt to good use :-), I really feel its a great job and that comedy is in me.
lool,Do you find that there are things you can not say as a stand up comedian ?
Yes i believe there things i can not say as a female comedian in the community / country i live in , things like sex as i find i get classified as being indecent. So i have learnt to avoid explicit material with sexual connotations :-) to avoid such labels as being loose etc 😜
Who Inspires you ?
TREVOR NOAH😍😍😍😍😍DAVE CHAPPEL😍😍😍😍😍ANNE KANSIME
Trevor for his personality as a comic i think
Dave i like how creative he is when writing jokes
Anne for the sheer fact that its Girl Power and i am all about that
Are you married / kids ? If so how do you balance everything?
I am a happily single mother of one teenage boy , my son is a boarder so i spend most of my time alone in addition i have a very supportive family especially my mother in law who is pretty much sons second mum so they help me balance my life and help me to pursue my comedy.
Do you perform Standup Comedy as a full time job ? If not what else do you do ?
Im a full-time comic but a partime camera woman i am very good at still photography but jobs normally come for motion so since i do not have my own camera so i do whats required but with my 1st big pay cheque i am getting myself a personal microphone and then a camera and lighting
You are the only female stand up comedian on the circuit in Zimbabwe why do you think there are no other women in standup comedy ?
being a female comedian / the only one on the circuit in Zimbabwe can be quiet challenging i have had moments when i wanted to throw in the towel because the audience can be harsh and cruel especially when they dont like your set
`in addition i gets serious stage fright, it is not easy standing up there and being the centre of attention it can be intimidating in addition you must make the audience laugh too. Plus it being male dominant also pauses as a challenge
So do you think women are scared of the fact that it is male dominated ?
Lol “bazongitshaya" (they meaning other women, will hit me ) I think women are still more reserved in our country when it comes to standup comedy and putting themselves out there to tell jokes on a stage in front of an audience
At what point will you fill like you have made it , when what happens?
The sky is the limit to my success however i would love to still be here doing comedy when more women join the industry in Zimbabwe and we host the Queens of Comedy in Africa,with me Headlining the act
I would one day also love to host regular laughter fest that would bring laughter orphaned and disadvantaged children in our community as a way of giving back and creating hope through comedy.
What words of wisdom would you give to young women looking to get into standup comedy ?
You do not have to be male to excel in comedy a good sense of humour and great wit is a great starting point but above all no man can put you up there with the stars only God and your own determination can. But hey don't rush to join as i’m still enjoying the attention😜
*****If you are in Bulawayo this May catch Diana doing her thing ****
I started trying my hand at standup comedy after meeting up with fellow comedians Clive Chigubhu and Ntando Van Moyo during a filming project in 2011 .
I rehearsed with them a bit then i left the country and went to work in South Africa ,upon returning back to Zimbabwe in 2013 the guys challenged me to perform on a stage in front of an audience and i did.
What do you love most about being a standup comedian ?
Mostly because i get to make people laugh and being a very expressive and talkative person , its a good way to pt to good use :-), I really feel its a great job and that comedy is in me.
lool,Do you find that there are things you can not say as a stand up comedian ?
Yes i believe there things i can not say as a female comedian in the community / country i live in , things like sex as i find i get classified as being indecent. So i have learnt to avoid explicit material with sexual connotations :-) to avoid such labels as being loose etc 😜
Who Inspires you ?
TREVOR NOAH😍😍😍😍😍DAVE CHAPPEL😍😍😍😍😍ANNE KANSIME
Trevor for his personality as a comic i think
Dave i like how creative he is when writing jokes
Anne for the sheer fact that its Girl Power and i am all about that
Are you married / kids ? If so how do you balance everything?
I am a happily single mother of one teenage boy , my son is a boarder so i spend most of my time alone in addition i have a very supportive family especially my mother in law who is pretty much sons second mum so they help me balance my life and help me to pursue my comedy.
Do you perform Standup Comedy as a full time job ? If not what else do you do ?
Im a full-time comic but a partime camera woman i am very good at still photography but jobs normally come for motion so since i do not have my own camera so i do whats required but with my 1st big pay cheque i am getting myself a personal microphone and then a camera and lighting
You are the only female stand up comedian on the circuit in Zimbabwe why do you think there are no other women in standup comedy ?
being a female comedian / the only one on the circuit in Zimbabwe can be quiet challenging i have had moments when i wanted to throw in the towel because the audience can be harsh and cruel especially when they dont like your set
`in addition i gets serious stage fright, it is not easy standing up there and being the centre of attention it can be intimidating in addition you must make the audience laugh too. Plus it being male dominant also pauses as a challenge
So do you think women are scared of the fact that it is male dominated ?
Lol “bazongitshaya" (they meaning other women, will hit me ) I think women are still more reserved in our country when it comes to standup comedy and putting themselves out there to tell jokes on a stage in front of an audience
At what point will you fill like you have made it , when what happens?
The sky is the limit to my success however i would love to still be here doing comedy when more women join the industry in Zimbabwe and we host the Queens of Comedy in Africa,with me Headlining the act
I would one day also love to host regular laughter fest that would bring laughter orphaned and disadvantaged children in our community as a way of giving back and creating hope through comedy.
What words of wisdom would you give to young women looking to get into standup comedy ?
You do not have to be male to excel in comedy a good sense of humour and great wit is a great starting point but above all no man can put you up there with the stars only God and your own determination can. But hey don't rush to join as i’m still enjoying the attention😜
*****If you are in Bulawayo this May catch Diana doing her thing ****