Jeff Dunham, the voice behind the character catchphrases such as Achmed the Dead Terrorist’s "Silence! I Keel You!" and José Jalapeño’s "On A Steek!” is bringing his undeniable talent and unstoppable laughs to Sun City; Carnival City; and Grandwest Cape Town this September.
Jeff Dunham has taken the art of ventriloquism to new heights and transformed it into a cutting-edge comedy experience that has taken the world by storm. Named by Forbes in its Celebrity 100 list of most powerful entertainers, his comedy phenomenon has spread across the globe as he continues to sell out arenas worldwide, topping DVD sales charts and breaking international rating records as he goes along - and South Africa is next.
"South African comedy fans are in for an absolute treat during the Jeff Dunham tour. He is not only one of the world’s most popular; funny; and unique entertainers, he is also the kind of act that appeals to an unusually wide audience base. We are very proud to be bringing Jeff and his many 'co-stars' to these shores," says Sam Hendrikse, CEO of Hunta Live.
One of his characters’ video clips, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, has been viewed well over 100-million times and his popularity in South Africa is evident from his DVD sales with
Spark of Insanity number five on the South African DVD charts — scoring against all DVD releases including best-selling movies.
With staggering and ever-growing DVD sales of more than five-million, the highest rated season premiere ever on Comedy Central with his debut television series,
The Jeff Dunham Show, 300-million worldwide views on YouTube and his consistently packed and sold out shows, he has a comedic gift that turns laughter into overwhelming success. Hailed by the
Times as “perhaps the most popular comedian in the US” and called “America’s favourite comedian,” he was the top-grossing live comedy act for 2009.
The secret to Dunham's comedic genius and unprecedented success is found in the believably real personalities he has created that are his partners in hilarity: Walter the grumpy retiree; the beer-swilling, NASCAR-loving and resolutely redneck, Bubba J; the furry and manic Peanut; José Jalapeño, the spicy pepper from south of the border; and the bumbling skeletal Achmed the Dead Terrorist. Although Dunham can rightfully be declared one of the funniest humans on the planet, it's his interactions with them as they banter; quip; kid; and vie with each other that makes their comedy so distinctive; potent; and irresistibly funny. They may have been conceived and crafted by Dunham, but his characters, who are anything but dummies, have now taken on a life of their own and are stars of everything Dunham does.
Dunham’s appeal straddles international borders as well as any cultural barriers and he feels it is his mission to not just entertain but touch people's lives. "As a stand-up comic, it is my job to make the majority of people laugh, and I truly believe that comedy is the last true form of free speech and that laughter can heal many wounds," he says.
Tickets are now on sale to the public via Computicket (
www.computicket.com or phone 083 915 8000). Ticket prices range from R200 to R500.
Jeff Dunham Tour Dates for South Africa:
Sun City, SuperBowl:
18 September @ 20:00
Johannesburg: Carnival City, Big Top Arena:
23 September @ 20:00
Cape Town: GrandWest, Grand Arena:
24 September @ 20:00
For additional information, check out
www.jeffdunham.com or go to
www.myspace.com/jeffdunham.