Conrad Koch has been doing this for thirty years. Ventriloquism, stand-up, political satire, viral content, Edinburgh, Montreal, corporate gigs. His puppet, Chester Missing, has interviewed presidents. And Conrad still gets up on a Tuesday night in Cape Town to test material in front of twelve people, many of whom are other comedians.
In this episode, we get into the question of who comedy is actually for. Conrad has spent years trying to write material that travels – across South Africa first, then internationally – while being honest about what that requires. That pursuit took him to New York open mics where he did ventriloquism for a room of unimpressed comedians on a Wednesday afternoon, to Edinburgh with a show built entirely around race that didn’t land the way he’d planned, and back home with a clearer sense of what his audience wants and what he’s willing to give them.
We also talk about Chester, whose race changed from brown to white, and why that decision was more complicated than it might look from the outside.
There’s a lot in here about craft too. How he tests jokes. When he kills something and when he gives it another go. What he looks for when he’s helping younger comics. And why topical material, while satisfying to write to write, tends to age badly. Enjoy.
Keep up with Conrad Koch on Instagram.
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