Journal of Development Communication And Applied Theatre

Stand-up comedy as a performance art can trace its inception and influences from oratory, classical Greek drama, speech, and different oral and comic traditions all around the world. Stand-up comedy is a type of comedy where the performer, also known as a stand-up comedian, gets up on stage and engages with the audience directly by telling jokes, often humorous stories or observations. Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome (Ali Baba), the pioneer of new stand-up comedy in Nigeria, helped this generation of comedians enjoy a financial boom and social recognition. Scholars have given ample attention to the business, aesthetics, and history of stand-up comedy, but textual analysis of stand-up comedy is rare. The form has received more attention than the contents of the art created by its numerous practitioners. The central methodology of this paper is textual analysis. This study uses content and thematic analysis to examine the concept of text in oral performances, focusing on selected Ali Baba jokes from his rich repertoire of live comedy performances as case studies. This paper reports that Ali Baba skillfully incorporates cultural references, vernacular expressions, and colloquialisms into his jokes. Furthermore, Ali Baba's comedy goes beyond the realm of amusement, often carrying underlying social commentary and political satire. In celebrating Nigeria's cultural heritage and diversity, Ali Baba's comedy serves as a reflection of the country's collective identity and shared experiences, fostering a connection with his audience that transcends mere entertainment.

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