South African comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout returns to the UK and Ireland with his brand-new show Hey Hey Divorcé – touring from 3rd February 2026 across 11 dates. Ticket details below.
This is his most personal – and unfiltered – show yet: Hey Hey Divorcé. His first (and hopefully, for the love of all things good) show in the wake of a marriage breakdown. Schalk is ready for a proper heart-to-heart with you, in fact he needs to talk. Why? Because it’s cheaper than therapy, that’s why.
Expect a deeply human, laugh-out-loud hour as our favourite South African comedian attempts to rebuild his life. This is Schalk at his most raw, most honest, and still just as side-splittingly funny.
Schalk Bezuidenhout is a comedian and actor, who is has just completed a world tour with his show ‘Crowd Pleaser’.
He has had sell out runs at London’s Leicester Square Theatre, Soho Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as well as opening for Trevor Noah in 2015, 2017, and most recently an arena tour Summer 2023. He has performed sell-out shows at the Melbourne International Festival, Adelaide Festival, New Zealand International Comedy Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Perth Comedy Festival, and Montreux Comedy Festival.
On TV, Schalk is the host of the Amazon Video series The World’s Strangest Jobs, has his own stand-up special for Comedy Central and recorded a special for Netflix as part of Only Jokes Allowed. On radio, he has appeared on shows such as Andrew Maxwell’s series Welcome to Wherever You Are (BBC Radio 4) and Comedians Vs The News (BBC World Service). As an actor, Schalk played the lead role in the major feature length film Kanarie. He is about to start pre-production on South African version of The Office, in which he is a lead writer and star in the show.
He has won the Savanna Newcomer Award at the Comics Choice Awards 2013 and the Intermediate Award at the Comics Choice Awards 2015, and was a nominee for Savanna Comics Choice Comedy Awards Comedian of the Year 2024.
Read all about Schalk below.
See tour dates and buy tickets here.
What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
I have a last sip of red wine and tell my nervous self: "you chose this life!"
What irritates you?
When I order my second glass of wine on the plane and the airhostess is like: but you just had one?! I KNOW LADY AND I WILL HAVE ANOTHER ONE AND ANOTHER ONE UNTIL I FALL ASLEEP. Wow I can't wait to only fly business one day. Please buy a ticket to my show so I can get there!
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
I drove through a police roadblock once. But in my defense I live in South Africa and it could have just been a guy with a blue light strapped to his roof so he could get people to stop so he could rob them.
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
Bungee jumping. Hated every second! If you like the excruciating feeling of falling to your death, be my guest. Actually, don't be my guest. I prefer to spend my time with guests who are like minded.
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
I am genuinely surprised that by some miracle I am still able to after 15 years of doing it able to come up with new material. I really thought at some point that I have spoken about everything that I possibly find funny. But then I got divorced and it suddenly opened a whole new world of material!
What do your parents/children (delete as applicable) think of your job?
My parents love it... sometimes. My mom still hates it when I talk about sexual stuff. I think she thinks that even during my marriage I hung on to my virginity.
What’s the worst thing about being a comedian?
Comedians who are on all the time. There is nothing more annoying. I'm exhausted enough with my own thoughts trying to crack a joke all the time!
I think you are very good at what you do (that’s why I’m asking these questions). What do you think of you?
I think I'm okay. My therapist says I need to get better at taking a compliment.
Who is your favourite person ever and why – not including family or friends or other comedians?
The guy I use as a driver here in Durban where I live. Every time he takes me to a gig he tells me how we would solve South Africa's problems. One of the things are forcing all young boys straight out of school to go to the army again. Sometimes his ideas are so crazy I think they might just work!
Do you keep your drawers tidy and if not why not? (please think long and hard about this question, it's to settle an argument with my girlfriend. The future of our relationship could depend on your response).
I don't. It's terrible and I loathe opening a drawer. I have a very cool Casio watch that I know is somewhere in a drawer, but I haven't seen it in weeks! The only people who keep neat drawers are the people who use those drawers to collect momentos of their victims.
Alan Davies has said that comedians fall into two categories - golfers and self-harmers. The former just get on with life, the latter are tortured artists. Which are you – or do you think you fit into third category?
I think I'd botch both. I know for a fact I can't play golf and the self harm... well, I'm way too much of a sissy and have a very low pain threshold. The more art I make the more tortured I feel, so give me some time! I might just cut off my ear before my career is over!
How important is luck in terms of career success – have you had lucky breaks?
There is a bit of a right place right time element. But honestly I think if you're hella funny and just keep killing it wherever you go you can't fail. I say that now, but some of the funniest comics I know are not famous at all. Maybe all of this is just a simulation. To be honest, it would be a relief if it was.
How much do you earn and how much would you like to earn?
I earn enough to own a property in South Africa, but not enough to out solar panels on top of that property.
See tour dates and buy tickets here.
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