What is a comic hoax?
What does Rodney do, and what is a comic hoax? Rodney arrives at an event in character, and mingles with attendees. If it is a conference, he will attend a seminar, and ask a question; if it is a dinner, he will attend pre-dinner drinks and work the room.
This mixing establishes the credibility of Rodney’s comic character. At some agreed point, often advertised in the program, he will be called to a lectern to deliver a “keynote address”.

During the delivery of this 20 to 60 minute presentation, audience members slowly realise that they have been had. Rodney satirises three aspects of the audience’s identity:

• the industry or industries represented are comically analysed
• the organisation or organisations present are humorously caricatured, and
• about a dozen individuals are gently roasted.

At the conclusion of the speech, the performance continues with a question and answer session. These questions are not set up. Those in the know about the hoax are observers. This time gives funny people in the group a chance to have some revenge … not really on Rodney, but on those who booked him.

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