Cotilda Inapo
Comedy is subjective. However, telling jokes that are funny is an objective truth. If people laugh at your jokes, then they are funny regardless of whether they are deemed funny or not.
American jokester Chris Rock put it more succinctly, “Here's the thing: Art is subjective, comedy is subjective, but killing on stage is not.”
Behind the laughter that comedy induces, there is a craft. That is the craft of comedy writing. It has all the elements of non-comedy writing. However, this sort of writing is aimed solely at spreading some cheer, as it were. In so doing, it takes on a particular structure whose intellectual scaffolding is tried and true.
Can you break down a joke into its constituent parts?
Most comedy writers follow a trodden path, one which is characterised by the duality of hilarity. In this, a joke has two parts to it—the setup and the punchline.
The setup takes the listener down a path paved by the assumption of what the outcome to the joke shall be. The punchline, on the other hand, contradicts this assumption with an outcome to the joke with an unexpected idea. It still matches with the setup, but provides a surprising twist.
It is this surprise, experienced by the listener upon realising that what was assumed to be the joke’s outcome is replaced by an unexpected perspective that creates the laughter.
It is a nuanced, paced and expertly timed way of saying what is said by first appearing to be saying something else. It requires skill and experience, on top of talent.
Has this approach found favour in Uganda?
For the most part, yes. Cotilda Inapo, a comedienne, actress, copywriter and events host knows all about this process. She is the first officially recognised female stand-up comedian in Uganda. Her journey, one of twists and turns, began in 2009 with a comedy outfit aptly known as The Crackers. Back then, she was a wet-behind-the-ears university student. But this inexperience did not dampen or dim her vim and verve to become seriously funny.
Cotilda, as she is fondly known, went on to feature regularly on the Crackers’ NTV broadcasted TV show, Mic Check. Every week, after the news at 9pm, Cotilda and other funny people would assemble at Laftaz Lounge to dissolve audiences into torrents of laughter.
In 2013, she was a breakfast radio show host on Galaxy FM, and then took on the role of creative director and lead writer for comedian Anne Kansiime up to 2018. She has been nominated for Best Female Comedian in both the Zzina Awards and Comedy Store awards.
While she kept behind in seats at comedy shows, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to found Queens of Comedy Uganda, a platform that mentors and showcases female stand-up comedians.
“It has successfully stood its ground and given birth to most of the current female performers,” says Cotilda.
What are her tools of the trade?
“I have always loved to write but the comedy stage has helped refine my craft,” she says, adding that five writing techniques have helped her stitch together content.
The techniques include observational humour, punchline misdirection, character-driven humour, wordplay and puns, and callbacks.
About observational humour, Cotilda says: “I have a gift for connecting with people, so I tap into real-life experiences, everyday situations, and social dynamics. Observational humour allows me to make relatable jokes that resonate with the audience. One simply has to take a look at the quirks of life in Kampala, the cultural norms, or the universal struggles everyone faces, and turn them into comedy gold.”
Punchline misdirection “involves leading the audience to expect one thing, then surprising them with an unexpected punchline.” She notes that “it’s effective in creating memorable moments.”
She adds: “For example, when hosting or performing, I can have a setup that seems predictable, and then take a completely different or absurd direction in my punchline.”
On character-driven humour, Cotilda proffers: “I lean into the ability to embody characters whether it applies to myself or the person for whom I am writing, bringing forth unique personas—whether it’s exaggerated versions of myself or characters that reflect specific cultural or social archetypes in Uganda or beyond. Writing comedy from the perspective of these characters can bring fresh and hilarious angles.”
As for the wordplay and puns, she offers thus: “I am quite eloquent and love clever conversation, which allows me to excel at wordplay and puns.
I play with language, double meanings, and surprising twists on common phrases. This works especially well in event hosting and standup-comedy, as it keeps the audience on their toes and adds a clever layer to the content.”
Finally, the callbacks. They come into play when Cotilda “reference[s] an earlier joke or theme later in my set, creating a sense of continuity and rewarding attentive audience members.” A callback, she adds, is “great for structuring a set or episode for TV, as it ties everything together.”
Cotilda further reveals that she “could start with a joke about a specific topic, like mentorship or corporate culture, and cleverly circle back to it at the end for a satisfying, comedic payoff.”
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO BE KNOWN ABOUT COTILDA?
She was also a regular performer and director at Comedy Files, a 2014 imprint that held weekly shows at Theatre Labonita. She has hosted major shows like Anne Kansiime & Tr Mpamire Live in Malawi, Extreme Comedy in Kenya and has featured on various other shows in The UK, Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Zambia.
As an actress, she played Sarah in the feature film Leila, and stars as Ann in the hit TV drama series Damalie that airs weekly on Pearl Magic Prime. She was also the creative director and the assistant di- rector for the sitcom, Girl From Mparo. Cotilda was the creative mastermind (she might say mistress-mind) behind the sensational 2016 “It’s Business Unusual” DStv ad campaign. Currently, she runs Humour Therapy, an initiative that extends comedy to corporate companies/spaces, is the founder of the advertising and talent agency Creative Stamp and recently launched her podcast titled “My favourite Stories” where she hosts reputable people in society to share their favourite life stories
