Kurt Schoonraad returns to Cape Town stages with Funny Side Up comedy show

The Coastal and Campus Circuit

June smells like salt and celebration in Cape Town, and Kurt Schoonraad plans to claim every last whiff of it. The boy who first tested punchlines on thirty shivering church-hall patrons now brings Funny Side Up back for a victory march, not a dusty re-run. Two neighbourhoods anchor the run: the wind-combed far-south coast and the academic bustle of Rondebosch.

At Café Roux in Noordhoek he lands for one night only, 12 June. They’ll flip the room twice - first at 18:30 for the supper crowd, then again at 21:00 for the wine-and-whisky set. One-hundred-sixty seats hug candle-lit cabaret tables; wood-fired pizza perfumes the rafters. Come early, grab a chilli-margherita slice, and linger afterwards - Kurt habitually props himself against the espresso machine for free selfies and rapid-fire hugs.

A ten-day hop later he settles into Baxter Theatre’s Golden Arrow Studio, 22–27 June, for six shows plus a Saturday-afternoon matinee at 15:00 aimed at grey-haired pensioners and blazer-wearing scholars. Both groups score an instant R20 discount at checkout. On the 25th the house adds South African Sign Language interpreters, their silhouettes projected crisp and clear; the idea sprang from Kurt’s deaf cousin who attended last year and felt locked out of the punchlines.

Inside the Hour: Microphones, Stools and Unplugged Truth

No laser grids, no LED walls - just two stools, one mic, and the room’s heartbeat. Schoonraad argues that the funniest tales already live inside the listeners; he simply hands them a megaphone and a twist.

Two fresh chunks debut this year. “Load-Shedding Life Hacks” rips through six minutes of Eskom-era madness: frozen-chicken re-gifting, romantic matches made by generator compatibility, the way Capetonians treat stage-two schedules like weather. The second rookie routine, “The WhatsApp Family Group,” projects his personal chat - names blurred - while voice-notes from emoji-baffled aunties and 4 a.m. herbal-tea sales cousins detonate laughter without warning.

Old favourites still flash past - the father who folds plastic shopping bags into origami cranes, the city’s willingness to queue almost an hour for a single R24 koesister - but the beat is leaner. “I shaved eleven minutes,” he grins. “That buys two extra jokes and one well-timed pee slot.”

From Bulldozed Streets to International Marquees

District Six raised him before the removals scattered families to the Flats. Hostels, corner cafés and protest-poetry evenings built the backdrop; church bingo nights taught him how a lone ad-lib can flip a room from restless to raptured. Born in 1971, he tested domino-table punchlines on uncles who rewarded accuracy with loose change and chilli-bites.

The world met him later. A grainy 2001 bootleg titled “Taxi Rank Philosophers” sneaked onto early YouTube and ricocheted across continents. In 2005 London’s “Comedy Sans Frontières” charity tour paired him with John Cleese; British press branded him “anarchic sunshine.” Not once did he sand down his accent or swap Afrikaans idioms for safer English - he trusted rhythm over subtitles.

The Club He Built and the Stories He Tells

Head to the Waterfront’s red-brick Pumphouse* * - once Victorian coal storage, now Cape Town Comedy Club. Kurt boot-strapped it in 1997 with two spotlights and a borrowed bar fridge. Twenty-nine years on, the room fires six nights weekly, sponsors five bursary students each year and records the Laugh Track podcast (120 k downloads monthly). Tuesday open-mic line-ups juggle UCT freshmen beside globetrotting headliners; the greenroom wall wears Sharpie scars dating back to 2015: “Electricity comes and goes - jokes stay.” Every comic signs it; Kurt’s fading black autograph anchors the centre.

Three tales surface backstage more than any others:

• Port Elizabeth, 2012.*
  The Boardwalk Casino lost power mid-set. Rather than stall, Kurt asked 2,000 phones to light the dark. A galaxy of torches became the backdrop while he riffed on why “Nelson Mandela Bay” sounds like a five-star room you still can’t afford.

• Bloemfontein, 2014.*
  A khaki-clad farmer barked that drought gags were “city-boy ignorance.” Kurt waved him onstage, handed over the mic and discovered the man kept a pet ostrich named Dirk who once outran a startled Jehovah’s Witness. The bird became a running gag in later specials - proof hecklers are raw material.

• Dubai Desert, 2018.*
  An Arabic interpreter re-engineered a minibus-taxi hand-signal bit so smoothly the house erupted. After the show she confessed she’d swapped “taxi” for “camel caravan” and “traffic light” for “oasis.” Her note - “Humour is local; laughter is universal” - still sits above Kurt’s desk.

Planning Your Night and Padding the Local Wallet

Doors swing open thirty minutes early. At Café Roux, picnic blankets dot the lawn; Baxter diners pre-order Bo-Kaap Bites curated by chef Fatima Sydow. Merch stands hawk cartoon T-shirts of a grinning Kurt flipping an egg labelled “Life” - the design came from an Instagram vote.

Phones stay active, flash banned. Every show ends with a group selfie instruction: switch to selfie mode, flip the lens outward, capture the carnival, tag yourself when Kurt uploads the mosaic. “Proof you laughed in public,” he says.

• Café Roux tickets start at R180 (lawn) and R200 (seated). Kids under twelve picnic free; the early sitting bars under-eighteens because the bar pours within arm’s reach. Baxter seats* range R180–R220; pensioners and students flash ID for 10 % off, and groups of ten shave another 15 %. Sales opened 1 March; the Friday-night Baxter slot already shows “limited.” A wait-list pings hopefuls whenever stray chairs open.

Peripheral fun clings to the edges:

• 14 June: three-hour masterclass at the Comedy Club (R350) tackles family mining, callback crafting and classy heckler taming.
• 21 June: surprise pop-up at Observatory’s River Club - guests stay secret till lights drop.
• 28 June: sunset stand-up on a V&A catamaran, max 80 passengers, life-jackets and dad-jokes included.

Five jokes you’re almost certain to hear, spoiler-free:

1. Capetonians nickname traffic circles “spinners” because that’s where punctuality gets dizzy and dies.
2. His dad’s retirement hobby: collecting plastic bags so pristine they still smell like Checkers optimism.
3. Joburg drivers behave like morning commuters fleeing zombies; Durban drivers expect the highway to pay rent.
4. Every swipe-left on a dating app is an in-law you’ll never argue with.
5. Aging just teaches the same knee pain new aliases - yesterday: rugby tackle; today: humidity.

Meet the Crew, Count the Bucks, Map the Journey

• Director* Beverley “Bev” Abrahams, ex-head of Artscape physical theatre, polices digressions with a velvet whip.
• Sound Designer* Kyle “K-Watt” Whitehead sprinkles Cape Flats goema riffs between stories.
• Lighting* runs on a single LED wash - amber for nostalgia, surgical white for political skewers.
• Stage Manager* Tarryn Fortune swaps two stools, two bottles and a mic in 17 seconds flat; her record is 14.

Every Baxter show pumps roughly R120 k into local pockets - restaurants, petrol, babysitters, late-night Ubers. Noordhoek’s smaller ecosystem gains forty-plus extra pizzas plus carloads of beach detours.

Logistics cheat-sheet:
- Café Roux: M3 south, Noordhoek off-ramp, brown signs to “Noordhoek Farm Village.” Free field parking; Uber drop-off at the village gate, never the horse trail.
- Baxter Theatre: UCT campus, Rondebosch. Paid P3 parking or the R10 Jammie Shuttle from Rosebank Mall every 20 minutes. When load-shedding bites, Baxter’s generator hums while the rest of Rondebosch dines by candlelight.

In his own words: the return isn’t nostalgia, it’s upkeep. “Each generation needs fresh jokes for ancient headaches and vintage jokes for brand-new ones. Schedules shift, sibling rivalry doesn’t.” His parting plea: hang your cynicism beside your coat. “The planet will hand you more tomorrow. Tonight we scramble the stress and serve it sunny-side up.”

When and where is Kurt Schoonraad performing in Cape Town in June 2026?

Kurt Schoonraad will perform his "Funny Side Up" show at Café Roux in Noordhoek on June 12th, 2026. He then moves to the Baxter Theatre’s Golden Arrow Studio in Rondebosch from June 22nd to 27th, 2026, including a Saturday matinee and a performance with South African Sign Language interpreters.

What new material can audiences expect from Kurt Schoonraad's "Funny Side Up" show?

Audiences can look forward to fresh jokes, including new segments like "Load-Shedding Life Hacks" which covers Eskom-era challenges and "The WhatsApp Family Group" which shares humorous insights into family chat dynamics. He will also feature some classic favorites, all delivered with his signature wit and charm.

Are there any special performances or discounts available for the shows?

Yes, there is a special matinee performance at the Baxter Theatre on a Saturday afternoon aimed at pensioners and scholars, who both receive an instant R20 discount. Additionally, on June 25th, the Baxter Theatre will host a performance with South African Sign Language interpreters, making the show accessible to a wider audience. Groups of ten also receive a 15% discount, and pensioners and students get 10% off Baxter tickets.

What is the history and background of Kurt Schoonraad's comedic career?

Kurt Schoonraad grew up in District Six and began his comedic journey testing punchlines on family. His career gained international attention with a 2001 bootleg titled "Taxi Rank Philosophers" and a 2005 charity tour with John Cleese. He also founded the Cape Town Comedy Club in 1997, which continues to thrive and support new talent. He is known for his ability to connect with audiences using local Cape Town humor and experiences.

Besides the main shows, are there any other events or activities involving Kurt Schoonraad in June 2026?

Yes, there are additional events. On June 14th, Kurt will host a three-hour masterclass at the Comedy Club, covering topics like family mining and heckler taming. There will also be a surprise pop-up event at Observatory’s River Club on June 21st, and a sunset stand-up performance on a V&A catamaran on June 28th, limited to 80 passengers.

How can I purchase tickets and what are the pricing details?

Tickets for Café Roux start at R180 (lawn) and R200 (seated), with kids under twelve picnicking for free at the early sitting (though the early sitting bars under-eighteens). Baxter Theatre seats range from R180 to R220. Sales opened on March 1st. It's advisable to purchase tickets soon, as some shows, like the Friday-night Baxter slot, are already showing limited availability. A wait-list is available for hopeful attendees.