11th February, 2014
The comedienne, Helen Paul, is a huge fan of Enyimba International football club. The only trouble is that she thinks the captain of the team is Samson Siasia! Popular for her child-like character, Tatafo, on radio and her role as co-presenter on digital television show, Jara, Helen is multi-talented. The singer, actress, businesswoman and mother speaks on her career, marriage and passion in this interview with SEUN BISUGA
Do you agree that Nigerian comedians recycle their jokes? And Nigerian comedians don’t have a stand up show like the Apollo?
I don’t agree with you because Ali Baba has performed for about four hours before; Bashiru and Julius Agwu have done that as well. In fact Gandoki can talk for 20 hours if you allow him. Maybe you have not been to places where they do that in Nigeria; but we do. At the Apollo in the U.S., they have built their stand-up comedy for many years and that is why people spend hours at each show. But in Nigeria, we are very busy. No audience will sit and listen to you for ten hours. In Nigeria, we re-enact our society on stage.
Nigerian comedians display very little innovation or creativity nowadays? Do you think you have reached your peak?
I don’t think it is just about comedians alone. I think it cuts across every profession. People also say, What is wrong with journalists? They don’t write things that we expect them to write. They don’t go into details, they do very little investigative stories, they don’t go to war zones to report etc, like their colleagues do abroad. This is applicable to every profession and I think we should all work on it.
How have comedians managed to be in unity, despite the competition in the industry?
Comedy is not for people who are not brilliant. Comedy is for intellectuals, people who can think quick. You see a serious situation and you manage to make a joke out of it; so it is for intelligent people. So there is no way you will be intelligent and not understand that the sky is big enough for everybody to fly. It is only when you don’t have that understanding that you compete and fight unnecessarily. How many states do we have in Nigeria? How many parties do we have every weekend? We still need more comedians, actors and actresses but because some people are not intelligent, that is why they fight. Some of us might not have the ability to speak English eloquently but we know how to apply it. Don’t forget the history of stand-up comedy in Nigeria which started with Ali Baba, who has set such a high standard. It was from that we started making big money and we have not heard any bad story about him. Ali Baba has never closed the door, saying, ‘It has to be me.’ He knows that he cannot attend all the parties all weekend. The sky is big enough for all of us and even more.
Do comedians perform for free or a little fee when a colleague is organising a show as actors do in home video?
We don’t do that. As I said, comedy is for intellectuals and as somebody who is very intelligent you should know what business is all about. Calling your friends on board that you have a show means that you pay them; you might strike a deal with them but you pay them. It also depends on who is organising the show. I can tell you: This is what I can afford, would you like to be part of the show? And as intellectuals we honour our word and keep to time. Once we say yes, then it is yes. If AY is having a show, he will pay me. Night Of A Thousand Laughs by Opa Williams, he pays. He takes care of your flight expenses; if you are going to Port Harcourt, Anambra or Abuja. If he cannot match you price, he will tell you, This is what I have. Stand Up Nigeria is different because the television programme is for upcoming comedians to show off their skills. Comedians are good businessmen, who value relationships and respect them.
Where do you draw inspiration for all those jokes?
I get my inspiration from God, from being myself, from the society.
Is it true that comedians get high before performing?
Really? Where did you get that from? I have never heard of that and you can’t do that with comedy because, with comedy you have to study your audience. Sometimes you could have written down your jokes but when you get to the venue, your audience could make you change it. I am more of a spontaneous comedian, I don’t really have to prepare jokes because I feel everything around me can be funny.
What if your jokes have been performed by another comedian?
Like I said earlier, I am a spontaneous comedian. Most of the time, I don’t have my jokes written because of my style. No one re-enacts my style or story line.
There are many sides to Helen Paul: the comedienne, actress, presenter, businesswoman, musician, mother and the judge. Tell us about Helen Paul the Judge?
Many people have not seen Helen Paul the Judge. She is someone that wants to speak about social, economic, marital, academic and political issues in her courtroom. It is a television programme that will go on air this year. I wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but expect to see Helen Paul the Judge soon.
How do you manage your schedule, given that you do many things at the same time?
I manage it somehow. You know comedians are thespians and thespians are actors; great actors because for you to be on the stage telling a story and acting four characters, it requires great acting skill set.
Combining the business part is also not entirely stress-free. Helen Paul is a businesswoman who is into bridals. I sell bridal wears, wedding rings, aso ebi and children clothings. This means that I have to keep up with my customers as well but thank God I have people who work with me. The fact that the business is successful shows that it is not Helen working but the people behind the scene.
When exactly did you discover your ability as a comedienne?
I started as a voice-over artiste. I was a receptionist at Eko FM Studious and from there, I started doing back-up, voice over but when I got into the University of Lagos, I discovered the comedy part of me. I went to a show, helped someone out and before I knew it, people started calling me.
Are there differences between Tatafo and Helen Paul?
Yes. The radio name is Tatafo. She is the one that talks like a baby all the time. She talks about issues that are not her business, while Helen Paul is a television presenter. Helen and Tatafo are both actors. On radio, Tatafo talks with her voice but on television, Helen is seen. Helen is handed a script, with which she presents and she adheres to it all the time, while Tatafo talks freely.
Which is the bigger character, Tatafo or Helen Paul?
It is difficult to tell because on radio, many people say a lot of great things about Tatafo and on television Helen gets a lot of commendation. They both have different sets of audience. Tatafo is basically for people who listen to radio in Nigeria and stream online while Helen is of international acclaim. She is seen on DStv and internationally too.
What would you say is the gain and pain of being a celebrity?
The joy is having people bless you all the time in terms of prayers. The pain is that some people think that we have so much money, that we have a tree behind the house where we pluck money from; that by the time you want to buy something, they increase it times two.
What inspires your fashion sense?
Nothing, it is what I like to wear that I wear. If I decide to wear sweater in the sun it is my life. If I am sweating, don’t pity me, I will keep cleaning my face. I wear what I like, what I think I am comfortable in and not what anybody says.
Tell us one staggering experience you had during your school days?
I liked to have my classmates get angry for no reason. It made me laugh because I couldn’t understand why people just got angry unnecessarily.
How did you get by academically?
My friends were the top students in class. We read together all the time. You know it is theatre so we did a lot of reading. I used to do a lot of story reading while my friends read up the theory. So we basically shared ideas on what we had read, while some people tried to do it alone and die alone. You saw them on the street not looking fine at all, sometimes they looked like they were getting mad already but as a group it was quite helpful. Having the right people makes life sweet for you. When you are working in a comfortable environment you have very little to worry about. I love academics but not that I like to read a lot.
How often did your husband change the diaper?
He is a fantastic guy. I have the feeling that his mother trained him well on how to change diaper. He’s been very supportive. I used to cry because I didn’t know how to do it but he did. He also enjoyed bathing our baby. We have a nanny but he just likes to do it. He is my friend, he makes life very easy for me and I pray it continues like that forever. Marriage is not an easy institution; it is the only school where you get a certificate before you begin schooling. That is why I say a big thank you to my husband. He is making it work, not me. It is all about sacrifice.