REVIEW: King Kandoro’s ‘Family Meeting’ served at just the right temperature

King Kandoro channeled an inner Dave Chappelle on his Harare leg of the Family Meeting tour this Christmas Eve.

At Celebration Centre, in front of an impressive 2,000 strong audience, he offered both jokes and introspection.

There is something different with this King Kandoro. Perhaps it is fatherhood, or his perspective as a now-diaspora-based comedian.

He touches on issues which are powerful, South Africa and its declining standards, and what he defines as the difference between Zimbabwe and his base in the UK. Kandoro calls it marketing and in this hour-long experience, while he does very little pontificating, he pushes that front and centre.

“You have to decide what you are going to do next year, but you have to be honest with each other,” he says.

“We have to decide how we are going to justify our nonsense,” he also said.

Perhaps in this meeting he is also finding himself, a certain father and other things. He still wants to fit in at home, but at the same time the urge to accept the elsewhere aches. His chat about the ‘lack’ of a British accent, not because he cares of it, but would like to have the option is amusing and yet poignant. And then the fact that people back home will not believe he is based in the UK, perhaps speaks to the cynicism among some, the way we are socially transfixed on what people are on the surface not who they are.

Perhaps that is where he takes us with his call for both sides of the political divide to talk to each other. Actually let’s correct that. To have the opposition guys talk to the governing side to find out why they think the way they do.

“They’re not crazy,” Kandoro says.

Like a family meeting should, this is a call for unity, in a performance devoid of the curmudgeon shtick and name-calling.

Kandoro touches on his subjects with appropriate irreverence. He retains some of the comedy tropes, such his gags at the cheap seats, but they are not overwhelming.

As for his support cast, they are curated perfectly, from Nigel the Slick Pastor as the MC and the hilarious Tinashe Fortune, who treats himself without excesses in seriousness. His comparison of MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora and himself to Bartholomew of the Bible fame is both self-deprecating and amusing. Given, we really don’t know what Bartholomew did to be among the Disciples.

And there was of course Doc Vikela and his role as President Emmerson Mnangagwa, with mannerisms to boot. That Kutonga Kwaro is back in the musical spaces is interesting.

And for the music, there was DJ Krimz.

All in all, a pleasant night.

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