Lowveld comedy lovers packed out two performances at The Capital Mbombela as Conrad Koch showcased his new live show.

The hit national tour follows a standout season for the comedian, who recently scooped the Gold Ovation Award at the 2026 National Arts Festival, a Comics’ Choice Award for Innovation in Comedy, and a nomination for the Impact Creator Award at the Content Creator Awards. Designed as a spoof talent contest where the audience serves as the judging panel, the interactive, family-friendly show challenged attendees to rate and react to a line-up of puppets competing for ultimate performer status:

• Chester Missing – the sharp-witted political puppet who regularly steals the spotlight
• Gunter, the German mosquito
• Hilton, the singing ostrich
• DJ Hoodie, the musical puppet talent
• Dixon, the teacher obsessed with ventriloquism
• Paul die Krokodil, the crowd-pleasing reptile.

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“The audience gets to be the judges, so they’re part of the show,” said Koch. “It’s a really positive show. There’s enough serious stuff happening in the world – this is about bringing people together and giving everyone a chance to laugh.”

Lowvelders turned out in numbers for both the 20:00 and 21:30 stagings, enjoying a night filled with sharp improvisation, family-friendly humour, and unpredictable ventriloquism.