Everyone loves Chester
EVERYONE loves Chester. Although the pesky puppet guy is known for kibitzing and taking the mickey out of politicians – insulting and heckling them with impunity and unbridled glee – they love the foam-latex political analyst.
He can get away with being the court jester speaking out.
Chester Missing – to use the full moniker of the puppet manipulated by ventriloquist Conrad Koch – is doing his shtick at the Baxter from April 3 to 14.
The show, Puppet Guy, presented in association with Comedy Central, will be at The Studio Theatre, Montecasino, in Johannesburg, from April 25 to May 27.
In July and August, Puppet Guy will tour Canada. Direction is by Chris Weare.
Robyn Cohen spoke to Koch about Chester’s new show.
Can we expect Chester, as a political commentator, to give us spark-notes to navigate the new order?
The show is less about hard politics, and more about having fun than ever before. South Africans have so much intense news around them there needs to be a level of escape. Chester certainly has some solid political material in the show, but most of it is more global and playful.
It is fantastic that the political order has changed a bit, so he definitely has some fresh angles – on Ramaphosa, Trump, the water crisis and more. The politics is spread out throughout the show, rather than the focus of the show.
The performance features “found-objects”. Chester Missing has found what?
I have spent almost three years focusing on building a globally accessible ventriloquism show. It goes to Canada in July and August. Chester takes on more universal themes than just South African politics.
I have introduced some amazing new characters. The freshest is a mosquito puppet Janni Younge made for me, with Chris Weare’s guidance. He’s absolutely hilarious. Later in the show I take off my hoodie, put my feet in the sleeves and DJ from an iPad with my feet. The show is really fun – like a Ramaphosa morning walk, but with less walking.
What’s the story about “turning members of the audience into puppets as part of the show”? Should we be very afraid?
I have two amazing bits of audience interactions. The first involves a cellphone linked to a projector where I make a member of the audience talk, and filter their face through the Snapchat app. It’s puppetry of the future. I also have incredible ventriloquism masks, which I put on to people in the audience. They turn into a lion and then want to hunt someone else in the audience.
Everyone loves Chester. He occupies a liminal space – slipping and sliding into different domains, taking on various references as he acts as a mirror, reflecting what people say to him.
Everyone loves Chester; he is the little guy speaking back to power. That’s why people like him. He’s a small latex man who gets to talk to people in high places. It’s his puppet-ness that makes it work.
He both exists (I have been checked into hotel rooms under his name) and he does not exist.
As a puppet of colour nailing my white privilege, we had some very fiery bits about race and colonialism. I felt like I had reached the end of that narrative, so now as a white puppet he still reflects, but from within two different political positions within whiteness, as well as on sport, travel and the nature of yoghurt.
Of course, the fact that a ball of latex can have a race is a comment on race in itself. We need to see race as a complex, contradictory idea that undercuts itself continuously, intersectionally.
Chester is a sharp dresser. Who designs his gear? What is his “look” this year?
Hahaha. I’ve been meaning to upgrade his look. His live shows are more casual, and his TV outfits are usually suits. He got his ties from Malusi Gigaba, who very humorously – and being a sharp dresser himself – once gave Chester ties for Christmas. At this last State of the Nation address, Malusi reminded Chester he’s been “captured”. Hilarious.
Puppet Guy, presented in association with Comedy Central, is on at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from April 3 to 18. Tickets are R120. Book at www.webtickets.co.za or from the Baxter. Tickets are R165 for the Johannesburg season from April 25 to May 27 at The Studio Theatre at Montecasino. Book at www.computicket.com.