24th October, 2012
Audience at the recently held Opa Williams’ Nite of a Thousand Laughs Xtra got more than they bargained for when comedians from across the African continent joined forces with their Nigerian counterparts to thrill them for about eight hours with rib cracking jokes.
Leading the African onslaught was Patrick Salvador, a renowned figure in the stand up comic industry in Uganda. He came with Cotilda, Ugandan version of Nigeria’s female comic Princess and Lepacious Bose.
Eric Omondi, the vibrant comedian from Kenya graced the Lagos stage for the first time, although Omondi had in May this year performed at the Workers’ Day edition of Opa Williams’ Nite of A Thousand Laughs Xtra. The show was sponsored by mobile telecommunications giant, MTN, Loya Milk and Bacchus Lite among others.
Opa Williams said he decided to experiment with top comedians from African countries “because we have always been known for blazing the trail in the comedy industry and since comedy shows have turned to a ‘see one, see all’ affair, we decided to rewrite the book of comedy according to Opa Williams.”
The show also featured wave-making comic acts from Nigeria such as Bovi, Funnybone, Pencil, Ajebutter, Akpororo and veteran Okey Bakassi.
Opa Williams annual event tagged The Evening in association with the Nigerian Society for the Blind will hold at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The comedy merchant and film producer said the event will be the “biggest and most unique charity ball in 2012” as three tables at the high profile ball have been reserved for members of the Nigerian Society for the Blind with over 30 percent of proceeds being set aside for the procurement of brail machines and other visual support materials for the visually impaired.
“We wish we could get guard dogs too, but in this part of the world, trained dogs that act as guards for visually impaired people are not popular,” Williams said.
“The Evening is a different platform that is unique and a perfect gift you can give your loved ones, business partners and friends. This brings us to the question; which Xmas gift do you look forward to getting from anybody? A goody bag, hampers, bags of rice, a holiday at Obudu Cattle Ranch or other resorts in and outside the country or even cards, but here in Lagos, Nigeria, we offer you an unforgettable evening in The Evening —a perfect gift.”
—Daniels Ekugo