Stand-up SA comedian
Barry Hilton's currently on the box co-hosting SABC2's gameshow
The Generation Game, alongside
Cindy Nkabinde.
I called him up at his home in PE to have a laugh:
Tashi: So what made you become a comedian?
Barry: I was too lazy to get a real job.
Tashi: How did it happen that all your live performances are based on your own personal experiences?
Barry: 'cos I just talk about life - what I see.
Tashi: Have you ever spoken about someone in a routine who's been fuming with you afterwards?
Barry: Um, ja - but I only tell the truth and the truth is right.
Tashi: How do you handle things when people confront you about what you say?
Barry: Well in a show I once said: "I'm sure God's a Leb because he's from that area," so this woman phones me up and says:"How
dare you say that God's Lebanese."
I said, "But why?" and she says, "Because you can't talk about God like that," so I said, "But he's from the middle East - he couldn't have blond hair and blue eyes."
She got very upset with me so I said, "Ag please man - go away. God's supposed to be everywhere so it means he's Lebanese and Chinese and black and Indian and white and coloured."
Tashi: Did you convince her?
Barry: Eventually she had a good laugh about it.
Tashi: What would you say the difference is between comedy and rage?
Barry: An extremely. Fine. Line.
I think it's the same thing as the difference between love and hate.
Tashi: What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you on stage?
Barry: I have a hiatus hernia - I've had it for like 25 years and I was on stage in Swaziland this one time. I was in so much pain with it I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.
It was burning and my arm was sore and
yissssterday - I went on stage and did an hours show and thought, "Bugger this, if I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die here. This is it." So that was scary - but it was also quite exciting.
I'm a bit of a hypochondriac - on my gravestone it's gonna say: "See - I told you I was sick."
Tashi: What's your funnest moment on stage? Have you ever corpsed?
Barry: Yes - I have a friend called Richard Drummond and I was doing a show in a kitchen before I was Pro - at a party. We were very close, me and him - we still are - so I told a story and just as I got to the punchline he told the punchline of the joke.
He didn't know the joke, it was a joke I made up so he'd never heard it - he just knew what the punchline was before I got to it. We were so close he knew exactly what I was gonna say and we just collapsed - everybody thought were nuts - I laughed for two hours!
Tashi: The Generation Game's about trying to master a new skill on the spur of the moment. Besides being a stand-up comic - what other things are you a master in?
Barry: Cooking. I absolutely
love cooking. When I get home
my wife is relieved of the kitchen duty - I do it all.
Tashi: What's your ultimate dish to make?
Barry: Paella - I make a sweet paella and I'm getting quite nifty at making different curries.
Tashi: You're very much an observer of things aren't you?
Barry: Yes - actually, I'm more of a life narrator than a stand-up comic. I narrate about everything I see, touch, hear and taste in everyday life.
Tashi: Can you give us your observations on ... Eskom.
Barry: Eskom's fantastic - they used to be switched on but now they're no longer a current joke.
Tashi: Banks.
Barry: Last week my bank manager phoned me up and said, "You're R20 000 overdrawn."
I said, "Really?". He says "Yes."
I said: "Tell me, how was I last month?" and he says,"You had a great month last month - you were R200 000 in credit," and I said, "Really?? So did I phone
you??"
Tashi: Dogs.
Barry: I love dogs.
Two dogs talking. The one says: "What's your name bru'?" and the other says, "I think it's Down Boy."
Tashi: Debra Patta.
Barry: Who the hell's that?? Oh! from Hard Talk - the 3rd Degree. When she dies I think she's definitely going to be burnt.
Tashi: The Bold and the Beautiful.
Barry: I would really not like to talk about myself and my wife!
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You can catch Barry on The Generation Game on Thursdays at 19h30.