Conrad Koch
Conrad Koch is one of South Africa’s most in demand comedy talents. One of SA's leading booking agencies rated him “Entertainer of the Year - 2010", based on the volume of his bookings and client satisfaction. He combines hilarious comedy with world class puppetry, and has done so for over fifteen years to local and international acclaim. He has worked all over the world, been featured on local and international television and is a frequent guest at some of South Africa’s biggest comedy events: The Smirnoff Comedy Festival, the Vodacom Comedy Festival, King Size Comedy, The 94,7 Heavyweight Comedy Jam, Blacks Only, SA London Comedy Festival, and more.
He has studied psychology, and is a corporate anthropologist – he has an MA in the subject. He has had extensive experience implementing culture change programmes for the likes of FNB, Goldfields, Sun International, SAA, and so forth.
He is completely unique in using his combination of razor sharp comedy with an understanding of human dynamics to create effective corporate communication. In the age of television and internet the human mind needs more than just facts read off the PowerPoint. His comedy is the sugar to effectively deliver the medicine of your message.
His edu-taining talk, “Making Laughter Work” (on techniques to make the office a more pleasant, playful and productive environment), has received standing ovations around the country. This fun-filled interactive talk focuses specifically on creating a client-focused culture, where diversity, customer-centricity and corporate citizenship are lived, rather than just spoken about!
Conrad has audiences in stitches, by talking to himself through a variety of extremely eccentric characters. Self ridicule has never been this fun! Meet Ronnie (the precocious monster), Chester (the 51% BEE partner), and Hilary (a bad attitude ostrich). They cover everything from politics to skin disease (Both funny ‘till you scratch deeper.), and are topped only by Conrad taking two members of the audience and making them the stars, your very own Boy Band. Conrad will provide the voices, they provide the moves.
“Brings the roof down” The Independent, London
“Delicious…hilarious ventriloquised repartee” The Argus
“Absolute pleasure” Mail & Guardian
“Hilarious.” Mail & Guardian
“Taking ventriloquism beyond anything in the UK or America” Sunday Times, London
THE CONRAD KOCH SHOW
The CIA can’t find George Bush’s brain, Yoda is trying to pick up a woman, and Michael Jackson is having a ‘thing’ with one of the mannequins.
The Conrad Koch show is that place where stand-up, special effects and voice comedy meet. Conrad will have you in stitches by talking to himself through a variety of extremely eccentric characters. Self ridicule has never been this fun! Meet Ronnie (the tokoloshe), Chester (the 51% BEE partner), and Hilary (a bad attitude Ostrich).
They cover everything from politics to skin disease (both funny until you scratch deeper), and are topped only by Conrad taking two members of the audience and making them the stars, your very own Boy Band. Conrad will provide the voices, they provide the moves.
NOTE: the show is internationally acclaimed and tailored to corporate sensitivities (he wont say #!&%).
SOUTH AFRICAN FUTURES: CHANGE PLEASE
Conrad is an internationally acclaimed anthropologist, speaker and comedian. His expertise is getting you to laugh and think at the same time, and all backed up by cutting edge social observation and research. He works directly with CEOs, directors and senior management, hilariously challenging the ‘emperor’s clothes’ of official corporate culture, and shaking things up for change. But wait, there’s more.
Find out why New South African quick-fixes such as ‘ubuntu’, ‘diversity’, ‘rainbow nation’, and ‘Noleen Maholwana-Sanqu’, actually hide racism and miscommunication, rather than solve them. After all, they are called ‘black diamonds’ because every time there is a ‘black’ person with a mineral there’s a ‘white’ person trying to mine it! Conrad will explain how South African identity today has become fixated on race, and some ideas on how to deal with this trend.
Rethink globalization in the South African context – international culture does not simply change South Africans, but is reinvented in smart and often hilarious ways. One of our strongest and most endearing traits is an ability to play with outside ‘catagories’. Are Zulus actually Zulu, does Google do TshiVenda, and who is Mzekezeke, really? Let’s feel positive and intelligent AT THE SAME TIME!
Does your company claim ‘democracy’, the ‘flat organisation’, and cultural acceptance? Conrad entertainingly shows how the younger generations often question the truth of these democratic claims, but debunks popular opinion about the binding force of age – we cannot squash the youth of SA into one ‘catagory’: race, class, language and gender complicate generalizations at every turn. So, well done, but no banana.
Conrad is hired again and again by most of South Africa’s largest corporations, with everyone from ABSA to YFM on his client list. He has implemented major culture change interventions for the likes of SAA, Goldfields, and First National Bank….. and he uses puppets. Armed with an MA in Social Anthropology, Conrad’s work is based on extensive research into the political and cultural dynamics of the country’s biggest financiers and into the social history and current climate of South Africa.