Online or on stage, C.African comics try to break through

BANGUI, Central African Republic — Under a mango tree in a residential area of Bangui, the filming of "Problem Booth" is under way, a series of skits imagined by Lemuel Luther-King Godonam and a few fellow comedians.

Filming, then uploading the videos to build a following is an uphill struggle in the Central African Republic (CAR), a war-scarred country that is one of the world's poorest and where Internet penetration is just 15.5 per cent.

But Godonam, a 19-year-old high school student, is undeterred. As "Luther LG" he leads the troupe, playing the harassed owner of a shop dealing with problem customers and the girl selling peanuts next door.

He just wants to make a name for himself.

"It's a new thing for us," he said, explaining the lack of scripts and dialogue, and the use of a simple sign as scenery.

"You can count comedians here on the fingers of one hand," he added.

'People need this'

A few curious locals stopped to see how it was all done.

"I thought they just did this on the phone but there's real effort behind it," said 21-year-old student Kharl Malibangar, marvelling at the booms, mics and cameras.

"I want to encourage them, like their channels, subscribe and give them likes," he added.

"Humour helps a lot of people. We've been through war and people need this to escape and relax."

Godonam said he wants to take comedy from the CAR "to another level" and win fame outside the country.

That is why the young performers, aged between 19 and 24, speak in French rather than Sango, one of the country's official languages.

"It's not just Central Africans who follow me," said Godonam, who dreams of being as popular as Cameroonians, Ivorians or Beninese on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram.

"Foreigners also need to understand what's being said, so I have to do it in French."

Posting the videos online however is a challenge.

"There isn't good internet connection here, which stops me from posting on certain networks," said one of the other comedians, Jessie Pavelle.

"It stops me from getting noticed."

Sometimes, the 2,000 CFA francs ($3.40) that 19-year-old Pavelle puts on her phone as credit is used up even before her video is online.

Such problems mean they cannot rely on an online presence alone.

Professionalise -

But the Central African capital is sorely lacking in the kind of comedy venues or events that Ivory Coast, a launchpad for comedians, enjoys.

Niger's Mamane, whose "very, very democratic Republic of Gondwana" mocks dictatorial tendencies in Africa, has run the "Abidjan: capital of laughter" festival for the last 10 years.

Ivory Coast's economic capital also boasts filming locations, where production companies create comedy shows, bars where stand-up nights are held regularly -- and even, in recent years, comedy schools.

"Ivory Coast is the country of comedy," Mamane told AFP as he recorded his "Parliament of Laughter" show, broadcast on French channel Canal+.

"You've just got to arrive at the airport in Abidjan and get off the plane... the Ivorian sense of humour is everywhere, it's become legendary and spread across west Africa and all of central Africa."

Mamane said he could have spent his career in France. But he wanted to come back to help develop professional comedy in Africa.

Next generation

The Central African Republic is not quite there yet, said Gervais Symphorien Kpignon, from the famous Bangui Parrots troupe.

Comedy spots are often limited to official political ceremonies or events organised by NGOs where the aim is to "raise awareness, sensitise and educate the population" through humour, he said.

That's a far cry from the new wave, which is focused on more lightweight topics such as romantic relationships.

To bridge a gap and ensure the future of Central African comedy, Yvon Cyrille Gone -- also known as Dr Mandjeke -- created the "Bangui Laughs" festival seven years ago.

He also trains a new generation of young Central African comedians.

"The young people who are coming up are good but they don't have enough experience so I decided to give them a hand," he said.

That night, he added Jessie Pavelle's name at the last minute to perform alongside more experienced comedians. It was only her second time in front of an audience.

The white plastic chairs at the Missy-Momo cultural space in Bangui were all taken and the audience burst out laughing when she joked about big guys being generous and skinny ones being stingy.

"I really want to become the best-known Central African comedian in the world," she said after finishing her set.