The first time I encountered Doc Vikela's work was several years ago. He was clad in semi-formal attire and a scarf with the colours of the Zimbabwean flag and he was doing a hilarious mimicry of the president. A character he called Vakuru. I was instantly a fan. From there I went on to see him in Special Class and other productions on YouTube. Yet it wasn't until this year that I finally got to see him perform as a stand-up comic.
To witness Doc Vikela perform stand-up comedy is to see comics push boundaries with humour. He skirts close to crossing the line and with 'Just What The Doctor Ordered' it feels like in some instances he does. Doc Vikela's debut special is a no holds barred comedy experience that sees almost nothing as being off limits. If there is one word to sum it up, it would be irreverence. He's Bill Burr-esque in that regard.
The star of the occasion was preceded by three equally brilliantly opening acts, that were a reflection of the healthy state of Zimbabwean comedy. From Mike's reflections on the status quo that came with the reimagination of an old Shona proverb: "Taiti sango rinopa waneta iro sango richipa anelink", to Chipenzi's hilarious reflections on how upbringing affects how people see romance and Tinashe Fortune's ability to weave subtitles into his performance as if we watching a Netflix special onscreen.
The brilliance of the upcoming talent on showcase was something Doc Vikela immediately made note of when he came onstage, stating that, "As you can see I have a better succession plan than Zanu PF." From there on it was a laugh a minute, admittedly with a few stutters. A show of jaw-dropping brilliance one moment and gasp-inducing shock the next, leaving you looking at those around you to see if it's okay to laugh. Such was Doc Vikela's disregard for more than a few social conventions.
The underlying theme behind Just What The Doctor Ordered seemed to be the finding of humour in almost every single everyday situation. From stories ripped from the headlines to recent statements on cases by the ZRP, to the notion of defending Zanu PF, asking Wicknell for a car and of course Tinashe Mugabe. In more ways than one, there was no room for political correctness, and even the audience present wasn't spared from the joke being on them.
While some jokes were ridiculous on their own, others were a mirror that reflected the ridiculousness of the audience's assumptions (and to a greater extent Zimbabwean society). A linear narrative was hard to notice and in some instances, the jokes didn't quite flow from one to the next, yet on the night those felt like things only to be noticed by a critic. 7 Arts Theatre simply echoed with laughter and the audience left with nothing but smiles.
Greedysouth rating: 7.2/10
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