It has only been a little more than a decade since Jason Goliath first got into comedy, after initially going into acting and voice over work to make ends meet due to a series of unfortunate events, after finding success in retail and marketing. This is just one of the amusing anecdotes shared by the now-acclaimed comedian and television personality during his one-man show Dala What You Must: It Is What It Is.
During the one-man show’s exclusive opening night, which was attended by family, friends, and members of the media. As seen in this touching moment, the premiere coincided with his birthday.
Jason Goliath let us into his world and evolution in light of COVID-19 and how that created a paradigm shift for the lauded personality. Speaking on the experience of creating the one-mans show, Goliath shared that:
“The show for me is not only the ideal platform to be vulnerable and share, to feel heard. But also a platform to feel related and connected to the audience, and also for them to relate to the stories I tell on stage to know that I am not alone in the mental struggles that I faced.”
His sentiments come as Dala What You Must is a self-reflexive comical take on Jason Goliath’s life-and-times told by him directly. From growing in up in in the 80s and 90s in apartheid South African in Eldorado Park, lessons learned from his mother, being white aspirational and finding then losing success early on in life. Goliath tells a Coloured-specific experience, which he explains the intention by sharing that:
“If I had a wish for South Africa, it would be to get to a point where we are comfortably able to share our experiences, our cultures from a proud perspective, and a perspective of respecting others and understanding ourselves. This, I believe, is the only way to truly empathise or understand someone’s perspective.”
As such Dala What You Must is not only jam packed with comedy and laugh-out-loud moments. But it is touted as motivational comedy. A comedy that Goliath has been doing for years in his corporate pocket but never believed it was commercially viable. However, as his perspective changed so did his intention in sharing jokes. As such he explained that his intention with his one-man show personally by stating:
“If I am being completely honest, it would be difficult to be able to say, beyond saying that it is the lovechild of two of the most important forms of public speaking today (comedy and motivation). Comedy has always been necessary as it drives conversation, and I think after COVID all of us has been through some form of trauma and are in need of some motivation.”
As such, Dala What You Must: It Is What It Is is described as driven by Goliath’s mantra of “Chase Your Happy” which translates through the messaging of Dala What You Must, which is, there’s no time for excuses, inadequacy or mediocrity.
More information on the one-man show is shared below:
