The Way I Am 'Life, Like Comedy, Is All About Timing'

The man who makes us all laugh, SA comedian Kurt Schoonraad, 45, shares passions, hobbies and memories with Stephanie van der Plank

- Stephanie Van Der Plank

Kurt has been in the comedy industry for 20 years and is the founder and owner of the Cape Town Comedy Club. He lives in Observatory with his partner Katrin and their son Jack, who’s nine.

What’s your earliest memory? Going for walks on the beach with my folks and younger sister. I thought my dad was the funniest guy on earth – with his dry sense of humor and perfect deadpan delivery, he had us in stitches. I guess comedy is in my genes.

How old were you when you got into comedy? I was 25 when I did my first gig. I was a winner of a competition called New Faces of Comedy and performed live for a few nights. It was at the Baxter Theatre and there were only three people in the crowd. Alone on stage, just me and my jokes... those were the toughest five minutes of my life. Little by little as the nights went on – and more people came to the shows – it became less terrifying, and it wasn’t long before I was hooked.