Stand-up comedy: Marc Eugene Lottering
13 October at 19:30
Spier Amphitheatre
It is not strange for South Africans to ponder about identity and ancestry. And that’s why award-winning comedian Marc Lottering even took it upon himself to take an ancestry test after hearing about his alleged “German-Caribbean” ancestry since he was a young boy. German-Caribbean or not, Lottering remains a comedic genius.
After being in comedy for over 20 years, Lottering finally shares his own story in his self-titled, solo stand-up comedy show, Marc Eugene Lottering, directed by Anwar McKay.
Concluding a nationwide tour, the comedian made one last crowd roar with laughter at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. In the span of 90 minutes, Lottering hilariously addressed his family’s fixation on being “German-Caribbeans”, spilled family secrets, and took the audience on a journey from his childhood to where he now stands in his late 50s.
Marc Lottering in the final performance of his solo stand-up comedy show, Marc Eugene Lottering, to a full audience at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. In his self-titled show, Lottering shared personal stories from his childhood to the present day. PHOTO: Supplied/AB Jantjies
Lottering undoubtedly captured and captivated the audience with his storytelling abilities. He delivered stories with such passion and energy that his performance almost felt like gossiping with an old friend at times. Part of the gossip was detailing how both his maternal and paternal grandparents met – the love stories that started it all.
He spoke intricately about how polarising his parents’ backgrounds are, from an English-speaking mother who grew up in a “free-standing house” near Claremont, Cape Town, to an Afrikaans-speaking father who grew up in a “council house” in Paarl.
Lottering’s ability to know when to “show, not tell” added an extra layer of humour to his performance. He comically demonstrated the skip in his step and hand movements he had as an unknowingly queer child on the school playground, and how he literally and figuratively began walking with his hands in his pockets as a teenager to hide his sexuality.
Marc Lottering’s final performance of his solo stand-up comedy, Marc Eugene Lottering, received a standing ovation from the audience at the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. PHOTO: Supplied/AB Jantjies
Although a large part of the show is about Lottering’s ancestry, it never felt like a boring history lesson. The proof is in the audience’s collective gasps when he revealed the massive twists in his grandparents’ tale, which he recently learned at a family wedding.
Near the end of the show, Lottering treated the audience with a brief performance of a gospel song, an entertaining tribute to his days in his father’s church choir.
Despite having a few jokes and anecdotes that didn’t quite link to his life story, the show ended in a funny yet heartwarming embrace of Lottering’s coloured identity.
“Basically, I’m coloured,” he said after announcing his ancestry test results.
Marc Eugene Lottering is not the typical autobiography. But the standing ovation it received speaks for its quality.