Stand-up comedy: Riaad Moosa: What’s the Point?
18 October at 20:00
Spier Amphitheatre
Riaad Moosa’s What’s the Point? turns stand-up comedy into a search for meaning. Behind every laugh lies a question: Why do we find life funny at all? Moosa suggests that humour is born from contradiction: “Funny is the two opposite truths that exist at the same time.” This idea shapes the show, which moves between philosophy, politics, and personal memory, keeping the audience thinking as they laugh.
Moosa’s Alhamdulillah routine, meaning “praise be to God”, stands out as he jokes that we never know if it’s said in true gratitude or just relief, turning faith itself into a moment of irony and laughter.
Riaad Moosa uses comedy to address global issues. His jokes invite the audience to think about what the point of life is. PHOTO: Supplied/Woordfees
This interaction with differences continues throughout the night. He impersonates Donald Trump’s arrogance and Elon Musk’s ego to question what makes people feel superior. He tells a story about a bathroom attendant whose quiet dignity outshines every billionaire, showing how easily people mistake wealth and noise for real worth, which makes one really think about the people in power and superiority.
He then turns to his own upbringing under apartheid, describing how his parents were among the first brown students allowed into the University of Cape Town’s medical school. They had permits but were still not allowed into white wards. He tells of an incident where a white man was having a heart attack and a brown doctor tried to save him, but the man refused help. This gives the audience an opportunity to reflect on South African history.
The story is tender, but Moosa makes it absurd by adding, “even the cadavers were racist”. In that moment, comedy becomes a way to expose both cruelty and resilience. His delivery feels conversational, drawing the audience in and inviting them to reflect on their own experiences while laughing at him.
At times, the show becomes unexpectedly intimate. Moosa recalls how one fan messaged him, claiming she had been scammed by a fake account pretending to be him. He apologised, but the fan kept arguing, until finally he replied with “Free Palestine”, and never heard from her again.
The punchline lands with purpose: Laughter opens space for difficult truths. He expands on the joke, explaining that “Free Palestine” means equality for all people.
Moosa moves effortlessly from light anecdotes to heavier themes and global injustices. His comedy asks whether greatness and superiority are real or simply illusions people choose to believe in. In his conclusion, he suggests that the real point of life lies in the state of relationships, the state of connection, of oneness, of family.
The show was incredible. Moosa balanced laughter with insight. His jokes drew attention to real global issues and invited the audience to think deeply about the world.