Bath Lives - Bath Comedy Festival Special - Daliso Chaponda

Star of Arthur Smith's Comedy Kick-Off; Daliso Chaponda sat down for a chat with the team over at Bath Comedy Festival. Hear what the upbeat comic had to say about hecklers and Rubik's cubes in his 60 second interview below.

Describe your show in 3 words...

Funny, true, intricate.

Have you been to Bath before? If so – what do you like about the City?

I often perform at Bath Komedia. Nice Bohemian flavour to the city.

Where do you get the inspiration for your material?

My life. Especially the painful bits. If it hurts I make a joke about it.

When did you know you wanted to be a comedian?

The first time I did a show at a little open mic in Canada. I did the show for fun but the rush I got on stage made me realise I didn't want to stop doing it.

How do you deal with hecklers?

Gently or aggressively depending on my mood.

What's been the most memorable gig you've done?

Doing my Laughrica one man show in Zimbabwe in 2011 during the Harare Festival of the Arts was quite an experience. Great audience totally unaccustomed to hearing the kind of content I had so there were equal parts laughter and shock.

Who are your favourite comedians?

Bill Cosby, Louis CK, Sarah Millican, Chris Rock, Martha Chavez, Sugar Sammy.

What are the best and worst things about your job?

BEST: Laughter, I get to talk about what I want, The stage, The travelling.

WORST: The travelling, no stability, work too often in bad conditions...

Have you got any hidden talents?

I can solve a Rubik's cube in a few minutes. I write fiction. I have rocking massage skills.

What's next for you after Bath Comedy Festival?

I'm touring my new show across the UK from March - October then taking it to a few African countries.

Daliso Chaponda is appearing in Arthur Smith's Comedy Kick-off cabaret at Bath Rugby Clubhouse on Sunday 31st March - click here for more details.

This interview appears courtesy of Bath Comedy Festival - click here to visit the official website.