Parker's To Host Open-Mic Comedy Showdown

The Comedy Showdown will give aspiring comedians - and those already honing their trade on stage - the chance to step up to the mic in front of a panel of established local and international comedians and Festival representatives to test their skills in a series of heats. The winner will share the stage with international heavyweights like Canadian “Hitman of Hilarity” Angelo Tsarouchas, Saturday Night Live's Dean Edwards, Egypt's Ahmed Ahmed and rising SA star Trevor Noah on the closing night of the UN Comedy Show on 23 August.

Comics will be able to enter a series of weekly heats at Parker's from 29 July. The top 2 from each heat will go through to a final on 19 August. Those 6 comics will battle it out in front of a panel and live audience for the right to join the Big 7 for the UN Comedy Show Finale on 23 August.

Joe Parker is delighted to be able to offer a platform for ‘newbie' comics to take the next step in their performance careers. “We've been toying with the idea of an open-mic night for a while now and the Comedy Showdown is a great way to launch it,” he says. “The open-mic night will also definitely live on at Parker's after the Nando's Jozi Comedy Festival and we look forward to unearthing SA's next comedic star on our stage.”

Comedy fans keen to see SA's fresh new faces at the Comedy Showdown can purchase tickets for R60 via the Parker's Comedy & Jive Website at www.parkerscomedy.com or by calling 0861 GIGGLE. Tickets are also available from Computicket. Comedy Showdown shows start at 20:30.

For more information on the Nando's Jozi Comedy Festival, visit www.comedyfestival.co.za and www.highveld.co.za.