He's smart, single, sexy and sauve, and he's in Durban.

Blessed with natural charisma, Bollywood good looks and the gift of the gab, funny man SugarSammy is a comedian, actor and "future emperor of the Earth".

Sammy arrived in Durban on Friday, fresh from a three-week national tour, and having hosted the main stage at the 10th Cape Town International Comedy Festival.

His new show, Down with the Brown, is to run at Sibaya Casino's iZulu Theatre for a month.

In it he uses fresh and edgy insight to explore the dichotomy between his life in a conventional east Indian home in Canada and his experiences in the heart of the entertainment industry.

Having been brought up by Punjabi parents, Sammy said he got tired of watching only Hindi movies and forced his mom to rent an English film - the first being a copy of Eddie Murphy's Delirious. "I watched the movie six times and, having done that, I knew I wanted to become a stand-up comedian," Sammy said.

Friendly

From arranged marriages and his Indian ancestry to his views on deviant sex, drugs and relationships, Down with the Brown will get you laughing and thinking, and "maybe even seeing life in general a little less seriously".

Talking to the Herald on Friday, the Canadian comedian said, "I worry about the safety of some people in Durban. Some of them are a little too friendly, if you ask me.

"When I arrived at the airport a couple recognised me, even though I was a bit shabby from my flight, and asked if I was Sugar Sammy. They were not scared of just approaching a stranger. I mean I could have been a robber and taken their money."

Hailed as one of the hottest comedians on the international circuit, Sammy was voted number one stand-up for the years 2004 to 2006 by the readers of The Montreal Mirror, the city's arts and entertainment weekly.

He has set attendance records and received rave reviews across North America and Europe - and now Cape Town critics are unanimous in their praise of his hilarious material and laconic delivery.

Sammy has also appeared on The Comedy Network, at The Hollywood Comedy Festival in Los Angeles and at the 2004 and 2005 Just For Laughs festivals.

Down with the Brown also features one of South Africa's most promising comedy talents, Loyiso Gola, who will be performing an opening set each night.

The show runs from tomorrow to March 4.