Fun Factory set to mark 20 years of weekly sketch comedy

On October 1, Uganda's most celebrated sketch comedy outfit - Fun Factory Uganda, will take to stage at Kampala Serena Hotel to mark 20 years of weekly sketch comedy. 

While the group has only been around for 13 years, they started doing weekly sketch comedy shows as early as 2003, while still studying art at Makerere University's School of Performing Arts, under another outfit known as Theatre Factory.

Under the stewardship of renowned playwright - Phillip Luswata, their audience was always treated to laughter-filled Thursday evenings, and if you remember the days of Barbed Wire, then we are on the same wavelength. 

Fun Factory Girls On Stage

In 2010, the group would then morph into Fun Factory Uganda, under the leadership of Hannington Bugingo, and Richard Tuwangye among other immensely talented comedians. They staged their first show as FFU on January 14, 2010, and would continue with weekly shows dubbed U-TURN.

The 14-member group grew to 16 members today, and as the years went by, their tagline also changed from U-Turn to Comedicine. Having missed out on celebrating their 12th anniversary as Fun Factory Uganda, due to the Covid-19-induced lockdown, perhaps the 20th anniversary of sketch comedy, at Serena, could pay up for that.

Spaking of Serena Hotel, the venue is not new to Fun Factory. Since 2016, they have held their somewhat annual wrap-up show dubbed Five Star Madness there, attracting hundreds of their fans in a venue much bigger than the National Theatre auditorium.