Humour never sleeps. It also tours hard. That’s possibly how Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander feels these days.
In the last few weeks, the popular funnyman has been on a roll thrilling the masses Down Under.
In fact, he just returned from performing seven sold out Australian shows – including the Fringe World Festival in Perth and the Adelaide Fringe Festival
If he is not on stage, you can catch his one-hour comedy show I Told You So on Netflix.
For his next project, Harith, who won the global Laugh Factory’s Funniest Person In The World competition in 2016, is going local.
He is planning to travel to seven cities around the country for his #kitaOK Live Comedy Tour 2018.
It is the 51-year-old comedian’s bid to bring Malaysians together through laughter.
“We’re going to focus a bit on Malaysia. A look at ourselves. It will be a ‘bring it home’ sort of vibe,” says Harith during a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur.
“To put it in a nutshell, it’s going to be all about what it means to be Malaysian.”
The comedian is certainly buzzing after the success of his Australian tour.
He’s also booked for upcoming dates at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in April, and there is also the launch of The Joke Factory, a new comedy club in Kuala Lumpur (end April).
Last Saturday, Harith performed at the #kitaOK Live Comedy Tour 2018 in KL. That’s a crowd of over 10,000 for Harith to take on and send home with big smiles.
The name of his show, Harith explains, came from the popular hashtag #kitaok (“we are okay”), a social media initiative (kitaok.com) aimed at spreading positivity. “If you follow social media, it can seem like everything is a disaster. But every country has difficulties,” says Harith.
“In Malaysia, I find there is still a lot of kindness, a lot of goodness, a lot of people helping each other. I think as Malaysians, we’re actually okay. As long as we have that positivity, we can make things better,” he assures.
“Hopefully, at the end of the night, everyone walks out with a smile on their face, having had a good laugh, and maybe with a new friend,” says Harith ahead of his upcoming nationwide tour. Photo: The Star/Shaari Che Mat
The tour which started at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil will continue to other cities in the country.
Harith is no stranger to big crowds. He is more than ready to spread some cheer to venues like Thistle Hotel, Johor Baru on March 1, the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Melaka on March 9, the Top Ballroom, Komtar in Penang on March 10, the Pullman Hotel in Kuching, Sarawak on March 14, Port View Palace Hall, Hakka Hall in Kota Kinabalu on March 15 and finally the Tiara Labuan Hall, Labuan on March 16.
The Johor-born Harith, obviously, is eyeing a massive homecoming show in Johor Baru. But he is eager to meet new fans, too.
“Finally, I also get to perform in Labuan,” says Harith, who will be performing there for the first time.
The intense three-day, no break Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan gigs clearly show that Harith is game to push himself hard.
The #kitaOK shows will feature him taking aim at the things that have torn Malaysians apart as well as celebrating the things that unite us. The comedy act will be filled with anecdotes from the nation’s history, rich culture and the humorous idiosyncrasies that made us uniquely Malaysian.
“I will go back, maybe as far back as Parameswara, who founded Melaka. All these things are interesting to me, because in school, I was supposed to have studied them, but I didn’t. I failed miserably. Now I’m older and these are the stories that interest me,” says Harith.
“They made me think. At the moment, what are we doing for ourselves as a country? Are we tearing each other apart, or are we working together to continue making this country great? It’s important to look back to move forward,” he adds.
Harith is confident that laughter is the best medicine.
“Hopefully, at the end of the night, everyone walks out with a smile on their face, having had a good laugh, and maybe with a new friend. You may not be on the same side of the political divide, but you can still connect in laughter,” promises Harith.
