Weekend Magazine: You are a comedian, MC, actor and event manager. How do you juggle these?
Mazi Prosper: I started acting first, in 2000, and then became a stand-up comedian before becoming an MC. It started from university campuses and then escalated to a major event.
WM: What was your first experience like on stage as an MC?
Prosper: What helped me was acting. I realised that any time I was given a major part to play, be it a role as a devil, it made people laugh. I like the work of an MC because it has a guideline. Working as an MC also helps you be creative as a comedian. You can introduce an activity and all you need do, is be observant. For example, the chairman makes a statement that captivates people, you think immediately of how to use it. With comedy, you are given twenty or thirty minutes to make people laugh. You have to be spontaneous and keep the fire burning.
WM: You were studying Biochemistry in school and yet became an actor?
Prosper: I belonged to a Christian group – ‘All Talented Christians Club.’ It started in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. It wasn’t restricted to a particular school. The group was made up of talented young people and we moved from campus to campus. The club was founded by a friend, whose dream was to help young people discover their abilities. We used to meet every Saturday where he talked to everyone about their ambitions. He also gave everyone an opportunity to showcase their talent. That was how it all started.
WM: How did you get into comedy?
Prosper: It all started at this club I spoke about. No one was doing comedy in the group. But then I was aware I knew how to make people laugh. The first time I was given the stage people laughed a little, so I wasn’t discouraged. The same thing happened the next time. My breakthrough came when we staged a drama and midway, our generator went off. Students started shouting. I was called behind the stage and told to say things I used to say during meetings. Everywhere was dark, so I shared the first joke and everyone laughed. I told them that I remembered when I was in primary school and they asked me what I wanted to be in the future and I said I wanted to be a medical doctor. My teacher then asked me what I breathe in when I breathe out carbon dioxide and I replied “carbon di inside.” The whole hall went wild with laughter. That was how anytime we went for an event I would be asked to tell a joke that would hold the crowd.
WM: What did it take to run shows from campus-to-campus?
Prosper: Youths love to have fun. So we created an avenue for it. We worked our way through fellowship groups in schools. We did drama, comedy, dance and music as well as the publicity, spending and travelling. We didn’t have sponsorship, so we contributed money. But we later got to a stage where people got interested in what we were doing and started calling us and paying for expenses. So we started in the church before we began to visit campuses. On campuses, as long as we got a hall, we staged our.
WM: What point are you at now in your acting career?
Prosper: I have been featured in several comedy films directed by Victor Osuagwu, such as ‘Comedy on the Street,’ an Igbo film, and skits. I am presently working on something that will be coming up on my show day on November 19th. It’s going to be a comedy show comprising music, dance and art. We realise that people are used to doing just comedy and music. So we are bringing other aspects of art. Because there’s little room for people to showcase what they have, everybody wants to be a comedian. This can be annoying. But some of them are actually comedians on stage.
