Noah's Lark

There was a time when there wasn't a lot to laugh about in South Africa. But since the government-enforced racial segregation of apartheid ended in 1994, a new cadre of stand-up comedians are creating a booming comedy scene there. Trevor Noah is at the forefront of the new wave. Now 29, his very birth was a crime – he was born in Soweto township during apartheid to a black mother and a white Swiss father, and such relationships were illegal. For the last few years Noah has been building a profile worldwide, having toured in the US and performed in Edinburgh and London, and unsurprisingly, race is a subject that he likes to face up to in his material. In fact, he's named his touring show this year The Racist. “Some comedians try and stay away from anything controversial, but talking about that stuff is something I've never been afraid to do and something I enjoy doing,” Noah says. “I was raised on the cusp of apartheid, and it's been an amazing journey. I've seen the country change a lot. I would not have wanted to be raised at any other time.”

Noah has become a stalwart of the fast-growing South African comedy scene and says there are many more emerging comics just like him who are about to step on to the world stage. “It's amazing, the comedy scene there now,” he says. “Different styles are coming up really quickly; when it started everyone was quite similar but now there are a lot more voices, a lot of different points of view.” It's a time-honoured comedian origin story: Noah was always the guy telling stories to friends and making them laugh, until he was encouraged to get up at an open-mic night. He's never looked back, and his career has been furthered occasionally by his celebrity admirers – including British comedy legend Eddie Izzard, who 'presented' his show at last year's Edinburgh Comedy Festival.

“I met Eddie about five years ago [while I was gigging] in London at the Comedy Store,” Noah says. “He just popped in and we hung out. I didn't really know who he was, I had no clue, beyond that he was a comedian. But we got on really well and I told him if he ever wanted to come to South Africa he should give me a call – comedians always help other comedians to find ground in different countries. One day I got the call and he said he was coming. I'd realised by now what a megastar he was! We just connected, you know? We have very similar views on comedy and very similar styles.”

This year marks Noah's first trip to Australia and he says he doesn't quite know what to expect from Aussie audiences. “With comedy you learn to find common ground with audiences all over the world, but I have no clue what to expect [in Australia]. I know there are a lot of South Africans in Australia; I know Australians know a lot about South Africans, we have a huge sporting rivalry.”

But Noah has an advantage: he's worked with Aussie comedians who've been coming out to South African comedy festivals for years. “Kitty Flanagan almost mentored me; she helped me when I was learning the ropes,” Noah says. “Carl Barron is an amazing guy to work with; and I've worked with Dave Thornton and Jim Jefferies. I've always been impressed with the calibre of Australian comedians; it's a small place but its contribution to world comedy is immeasurable.”