One day, in a more enlightened future, wrinkles will be considered sexy, the sign of copious laughter and experiences gained from a life well-lived. 

Comedian Marc Lottering is certainly hoping so, since he was recently struck by the realisation that he has become an “elder” in this era of still rampant ageism. 

The once young and sprightly comic has hit his mid-50s and turned into a man who complete strangers call “Uncle Marc”. 

“In your head, you’re still sexy but they’re calling you uncle,” he pouts. The irony is, if Lottering has grown older, he has done so in front of an audience that still adores him, a well-deserved accolade for a man who has been in the industry for decades.

Much of the material in his new show, Uncle Marc, is hilarious nonsense woven into sharp stories that have you doubled up with laughter. The quirkiness of everyday life is once again highlighted and exaggerated. It’s fast, it’s joyful and at times you forget what the stand-up comedian was joking about, even though your cheeks are aching as he adds to your laughter lines.

Marc Lottering by Lindsey Appolis

Lottering has turned growing old disgracefully into a show of its own, but it’s only in the second half of his performance that the ageism bit kicks in. 

If he was really old it would hobble in, of course, but at 54 he still has the exuberance and energy that always make his shows a delightful combination of verbal and physical humour.

He jokes about three triggering incidents that made him realise his age, as well as the medicine cabinets full of all the things he takes to keep him healthy. And because the pandemic has encroached into our lives in indelible ways, Lottering intertwines his observations on the last three years; from vaccination – he explains that he did get vaccinated because “after all the kak” he’s put into his body over the years, “why stop now” – to sanitary rules and regulations, sharing with the audience a hilarious impression of the aisle-shaking stomp of a disgruntled cabin attendant on his flight up here.

Lottering also reveals a little more of his personal life in this production and it feels both intimate and liberating: we hear about his roots, his life partner, Anwar, who, he says, must “take me as I am”, an attitude that comes with age. It’s also known as the “f**k you” factor, which we older people have in spades. DM/ML

Marc Lottering’s Uncle Marc runs at Montecasino Theatre in Johannesburg until 6 March, then moves to Pretoria, Paternoster, East London, Cape Town and Gqeberha.