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A new comedy series set for release on Showmax promises to place some of our favourite celebrities on the hot seat for a ‘roast session’.
The programme, dubbed Roast House will premiere on July 14 according to a press release by the streaming service.
According to Showmax, the series features appearances by popular personalities including Jalang’o, singer Sanaipei Tande, and rapper Prezzo among other notable figures.
“Roast House celebrates different public figures in Kenya through jokes and “takedowns” performed by the group of comedians from Standup Collective,” the press statement reads in part.
It adds: “From activist Boniface Mwangi to singer-actress Sainapei Tande, to politician, media personality and comedian Jalang’o, to Soul Generation artistes Nviiri the Storyteller and Bensoul, to rapper Prezzo and Hip Hop group P-Unit, no one is safe here.”
The statement notes that the show comprises 10 episodes of 24 minutes each, where the comedians throw out good-natured jokes on different topics, themes and situations at the expense of the public figure or celebrity in the hot seat.
“Seventeen Kenyan comedians, 10 Kenyan celebrities in the hot seat, one stage and a series of brutal and hilarious roasts.”
The show is co-produced by Eugene Mbugua’s D&R Studios and Stand-Up collective’s team of comedians. It was filmed at Koinange street club Number 7.
“Eugene would attend our comedy shows, usually with his celebrity friends and we would end up interrogating them in a crowd work format. Eventually, we agreed to do a regular pro-amateur show on Tuesday nights at Number 7 called Laugh Attack Tuesdays,” Doug Mutai, co-founder of Stand-Up collective, said in an interview.
He added: “Eugene suggested we launch with a roast of Bien (Sauti Sol) and Rimbui. This would coincide with the debut of their Baldman project launch. The roast went well. The audience thought we did not roast them enough. Another discussion in January led to the idea for us to package the roast properly.”
He added that the comedians lined up in the project were not intimidated when they had to make fun of the celebrities, but hoped everyone would take it well.
The exciting series comes after other international productions that light-heartedly make fun of celebrities, including the popular American programme Comedy Central Roast on the Comedy Central channel.
