Stand-up South African comedian Barry Hilton's currently on the box co-hosting SABC2's gameshow 'The Generation Game', alongside Cindy Nkabinde.

I called him up at his home in PE to have a laugh

Tashi: So what made you become a comedian?

Barry: I was too lazy to get a real job.

Tashi: How did it happen that all your live performances are based on your own personal experiences?

Barry: 'Cos I just talk about life — what I see.

Tashi: Have you ever spoken about someone in a routine who's been fuming with you afterwards?

Barry: Um, ja — but I only tell the truth and the truth is right.

Tashi: How do you handle things when people confront you about what you say?

Barry: Well in a show I once said: "I'm sure God's a Leb because he's from that area," so this woman phones me up and says: "How dare you say that God's Lebanese."

I said: "But why?" and she says: "Because you can't talk about God like that," so I said: "But he's from the Middle East — he couldn't have blond hair and blue eyes."

She got very upset with me so I said: "Ag please man — go away. God's supposed to be everywhere so it means he's Lebanese and Chinese and black and Indian and white and coloured."

Tashi: Did you convince her?

Barry: Eventually she had a good laugh about it.

Tashi: What would you say the difference is between comedy and rage?

Barry: An extremely. Fine. Line.

I think it's the same thing as the difference between love and hate.

Tashi: What's the scariest thing that's ever happened to you on stage?

Barry: I have a hiatus hernia — I've had it for like 25 years and I was on stage in Swaziland this one time. I was in so much pain with it I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.

It was burning and my arm was sore and yissssterday — I went on stage and did an hours show and thought: "Bugger this, if I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die here. This is it." So that was scary — but it was also quite exciting.

I'm a bit of a hypochondriac — on my gravestone it's gonna say: "See — I told you I was sick."

Tashi: What's your funnest moment on stage? Have you ever corpsed?

Barry: Yes, I have a friend called Richard Drummond and I was doing a show in a kitchen before I was Pro — at a party. We were very close, me and him — we still are — so I told a story and just as I got to the punchline he told the punchline of the joke.

He didn't know the joke, it was a joke I made up so he'd never heard it — he just knew what the punchline was before I got to it. We were so close he knew exactly what I was gonna say and we just collapsed — everybody thought we were nuts. I laughed for two hours!

Tashi: The 'Generation Game' is about trying to master a new skill on the spur of the moment. Besides being a stand-up comic — what other things are you a master in?

Barry: Cooking. I absolutely love cooking. When I get home my wife is relieved of the kitchen duty — I do it all.

Tashi: What's your ultimate dish to make?

Barry: Paella — I make a sweet paella and I'm getting quite nifty at making different curries.

Tashi: You're very much an observer of things aren't you?

Barry: Yes — actually, I'm more of a life narrator than a stand-up comic. I narrate about everything I see, touch, hear and taste in everyday life.

Tashi: Can you give us your observations on ... Eskom.

Barry: Eskom's fantastic — they used to be switched on but now they're no longer a current joke.

Tashi: Banks.

Barry: Last week my bank manager phoned me up and said: "You're R20 000 overdrawn."

I said: "Really?". He says "Yes."

I said: "Tell me, how was I last month?" and he says: "You had a great month last month — you were R200 000 in credit," and I said: "Really? So did I phone you?"

Tashi: Dogs.

Barry: I love dogs.

Two dogs talking. The one says: "What's your name bru'?" and the other says, "I think it's Down Boy."

Tashi: Debra Patta.

Barry: Who the hell's that? Oh! from 'Hard Talk', 'The 3rd Degree'. When she dies I think she's definitely going to be burnt.

Tashi: 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.

Barry: I would really not like to talk about myself and my wife!