LISTEN: Comedians, Conrad Koch, John Vlismas and Donovan Goliath sat down with Eusebius McKaiser

Vlismas says there is always going to be a big wave of comics but most of them won’t be as good as the comics at the top. He goes on to make reference to Trevor Noah’s current comedy tour and audience attendance as proof of growth of the industry.

Koch says it is easier to poke fun at black people, if you’re willing to do a stereotypical black or Xhosa accent. He adds that audiences love it and will never question you for it. It’s easier to make an audience to find the “other” funny. To make rich people laugh back at themselves is complicated but that is changing.

— Conrad Koch, Double Emmy nominated South African ventriloquist

Goliath explains that he sits with his material for a while prior to performances. He says he often questions whether or not his material will resonate with his audiences. If something is not working on stage your brain is always trying to edit things, adds Goliath. I don’t like writing shows about one specific topic, I veer off quite a bit.

— Donovan Goliath, Stand-up comedian and television presenter

Vlismas says his show ‘The Good Racist’ was aimed at looking at the nature of racism, and as a white person, take responsibility. He explains that he almost had to cancel the show after reading and researching on slavery in Africa because he thought it may be perceived as exploitative.

There’s a miracle that happens with comedy where we need to eat the darkness and spit out something lighter.

— John Vlismas, stand-up comedian and entertainment promoter.

Vlismas says he will continue embarking on this level of research for all his shows.

Listen to the full conversation here:)