Encomium
Comediennes are striving as much as their male counterparts. Even though they are faced with more challenges, they still know their onions and perform to satisfaction.
ENCOMIUM Weekly spoke with top comediennes about the challenges and opportunities of being a rib-crackers…
‘Being myself has helped a lot’ -HELEN PAUL
How is life as a comedienne?
Life is good, and I am happy about it. Personally, I am enjoying it.
What has been the gains?
To God be the glory. I honestly have every reason to be thankful. I can’t start mentioning them one by one. All I can say is that my dreams are coming true and I am still working harder, not resting on my oars because there are still more to come.
What is your unique selling point?
Being natural and spontaneous. Almost all my colleagues are natural and spontaneous too. Let me simply say that being myself has helped a lot.
Does being a woman pose any challenge to you as a comedienne?
Not really. I would rather say it is more of a societal thing. In Nigeria, men do things and nobody criticizes them. But when a lady does same thing, everybody will criticize her. There are many things that male comedians can say and people will laugh, but when a female comedian says the same thing, people will call her names. It is not like that in developed countries. But we are getting there.
Has comedy changed your life?
Yes, comedy has changed my life. Like I said, I wouldn’t want to start counting, but I am certainly not where I used to be before starting comedy.
