Happiness unplugged: Jason and Nicholas Goliath's new show will leave you in stitches

IOL News

17 hours ago

Jason and Nicholas Goliath tickle the funnybone on 'The Hapiness Economy Tour'.
Image: Supplied
Jason and Nicholas Goliath are a riot with their 'The Hapiness Economy Comedy Tour' at Pieter Torien Theatre, Montecasino.
If you haven't gotten around to catching their show, it's still on for a few more days.
In a recent chat with the comedians, they unpacked a bit more about their new show, which, while it is hilarious, is also well-researched and has been extended into a podcast as well.
' If you're in the mood for a proper, solid deep laugh, involuntary laughter is the way I'd like to explain it. It's the show for you. In terms of our insights and research, that's why we started the podcast.
"Because we've been so curious about trying to define happiness as comedians, Nicolas and I started the 'Happiness Economy' podcast with the sole intention of interviewing people who we perceived as happy, people who we thought were happy based on their Instagram profiles, et cetera, and what they were showing us.'
Nicholas added: 'What we found through the podcast, and now through the show, is that most people don't know what makes them happy … No one teaches us how to find happiness for ourselves, by ourselves.
"A big realisation for us has been that happiness isn't something you just have, it's something you have to work on every day.
'A lot of people think happiness means smiling all the time, nothing going wrong in your life. But we've come to understand that what we're after isn't constant happiness, it's peace and joy. Those come in moments, and when you know it's a daily effort, the pressure lifts.
"You start noticing the small, good things. That shift in thinking is what the show is really about.'
To delve deeper, I asked them as individuals to define happiness, particularly given that Covid-19 has brought mental health to the forefront of discussions.
'Happiness, for me, I think, is described as something that happens where my feet are right now in the moment. It's a momentary thing, not a forever-and-ever-after thing, like the fairy tales led us to believe. I think happiness exists only in the moment, but a more peaceful, joyful life is what we are all definitely looking for,' Jason revealed.
Nicholas added, 'Believe it or not, even after doing the podcast and now this tour, we're still figuring that out. We're not sure if we're even chasing 'happiness' anymore. Maybe we're actually looking for a peaceful, joyful life, and happiness just shows up along the way.
"It's not a destination or something you achieve once and keep forever. It's a feeling that comes and goes, and once you understand that, your whole perspective shifts.'
This show is unlike anything either of them has done before. With a raw comedic edge and heartfelt insights, the performers engage directly with the audience on stage.
Jason noted: 'The show is incredibly interactive for a comedy show, and we are still learning. I think that's exactly why we keep it as interactive as it is. We encourage audiences to share with us what their perspectives are.
"We encourage the audience to interrogate our thinking in terms of what we think happiness is and how we are trying to define it.
'But we also encourage audiences to share life hacks for living a more peaceful, joyful life. An example is, and it's crazy, because an 87-year-old man once said to us after a show, well, in the Q&A section that we run at the end of the show, that he simply starts each day with five minutes to give away.
'Instead of getting frustrated for mundane things like a taxi driver cutting him off, he then just says to himself, that's 30 seconds gone. I've only got four and a half minutes left to give away, instead of reacting.'
Where: Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino
When: Runs until July 6.