The name Keenan Cerff will soon be on everyone’s lips and mentioned in the same breath as top comedians such as Yaaseen Barnes (his look alike) and Rob van Vuuren after he was hand-picked by Trevor Noah with 12 other up-and-coming comedians for a television series to be viewed on M-Net in August.
A moment of truth hit Keenan at the recording in April when he stepped on to the stage and as the cameraman gave him the cue to come out, he heard Trevor announce: “Ladies and gentlemen your next act, all the way from Cape Town, Mr Keenan Cerff.
“I came out from behind the curtain and I saw Trevor from the corner of my eye, clapping. I then saw one seat, which turned into 200 then 500 and seconds later I was looking at an audience of 1 200 people watching me. I didn’t know what to think, but I eventually told myself, I’m really here, like wow.”
Keenan, who attended Sibelius High School in Steenberg, experienced his 15 minutes of fame at that moment but never in his wildest dreams did he think this would happen because comedy wasn’t even a career choice.
“Comedy found me. I just had the knack of saying something and everyone would laugh.
“We used to have show and tell at school and I would go on the podium and say the most random things, like ‘so my grandmother lost our nail clipper’, then everyone would laugh.”
Keenan said he used to be shy and socially awkward.
“People used to make fun of me but comedy helped me a lot to overcome that feeling.”
He said he didn’t still make an effort to be funny but people spontaneously laughed at what he was saying. “When I was in a lift or a taxi I would speak to people as if I know them, because I can’t stand silence.
“When I got my first job, after school, at a call centre – no surprise there – the team leader who is a comedian and runs a show in Mitchell’s Plain, advertised on a poster comedy try-outs, and my colleagues encouraged me to go.”
There he got his first show in 2013 at a sports bar. However, he said: “I was not funny at all. My parents came to watch me and my mother, Beverley, said ‘hy moet nie comedy doen nie want hy praat uit die huis uit’ (He shouldn’t be doing comedy because he talks about what’s happening behind closed doors).”
In the years ahead Keenan learnt to talk about himself and his second gig was much more fruitful.
About a year and a half ago, he said, everything really kicked off for him, when he went to Durban to explore the comedy world. “The first two nights were bad – like no one laughed, but after that it was better and I was approached by one of Durban’s best comedians and now my friend and mentor, Carvin Goldstone.”
He told Keenan that he thought he was really funny and asked him to tell the stories of people. “He said don’t try too hard to be funny. Make as if you speak to someone in a room.”
From that day onwards, Keenan started to write stories about conversations.
Keenan’s life growing up in Lavender Hill became his material and one of his favourite characters is his uncle who used to be a drug addict.
He said he wants to encourage others to follow their passion. “I tried out everything like playing soccer and even entered science competitions. But I found love and it was comedy.”
Keenan also aims to give back to the community and he is currently hosting his own show at 86 Diamond Drive, Steenberg, on the last Friday of every month. The next one will be on Friday June 29. He said anyone can watch the show and whoever wants to give comedy a try, can use that platform.
* Keenan is taking part in the Comics Choice Awards – in two categories: Next Level and The Audience Choice. Voters can SMS to 45757 and type in the code 49489. The nomination deadline is Wednesday July 4 for him to make it into the top five. The winner will be announced on Wednesday July 11 at the Press Launch in Johannesburg.
For more information, contact him on 061 399 5363 or email info@comedyhouse.co.za