Malcolm Ferreira
Malcolm Ferreira likes to talk about what he is, rather than what he is not. Blunt, earthy and yet possessed of an unerring bulldust compass, he can offend the faint of heart and slow of thought; for ten years, however, crowds who like comedy with a bit of thought behind it have responded to his barbed wit and uncompromising logic with gasps, cheers and storms of applause. His agenda, it turns out, isn’t political, or racial, or sexual – it’s common-sensical.
He earned rave responses on his international debut, performing on the ground-breaking SA-Only stage at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival. “Malcolm’s sharp-witted barbs were the highlight of the show” – The Scotsman.
He has gone on to perform in London, Dublin, the Seychelles, Sydney, Dubai and, of course, Botswana. He’s also been a constant presence on the SA club circuit, delivering side-splitting sets to the highly diverse crowds that have sprung up all over the country. With his quick wit and fearless approach, he has worked with several improv troupes, firm favourites both on the club circuit and at festivals like Up the Creek and Oppikoppi.
How does he get away with being “the Dr Phil of Political Incorrectness”? Firstly, his easy-going delivery, rubber-faced punctuation and surprising physicality let us know we don’t have to take it entirely seriously, and secondly, he doesn’t dish out what he isn’t prepared to take. When it comes to down-to-earth criticism and no-holds-barred delivery, he’s not scared to lay bare his own foibles and faults. Years of pub and club gigs have made him adept at reading a room and adapting to any situation – the belly-laughs are spicy, rather than crude…
Malcolm’s CV also boasts a growing body of TV work, aided by his reputation for easy-to-work-with professionalism. Apart from being instantly recognisable as Vodacom’s “Player 23, Jan”, which afforded him the opportunity to work closely with the South Africa rugby legends both locally and in Dubai. He also presented the final season of the travel idyll Going Nowhere Slowly.
He has also written and appeared in TV sketches for The Flipside, The Pure Monate Show, Comedy Showcase, The Res and Pap Idols.
He’s served a stint presenting on Radio 702, and was also a firm favourite as the original 94.7 Fugitive. He has also appeared in the independent film Slam-Bang, which is currently seeking distribution.
And has recently won a MTN Radio Award as part of Sportsfire alongside Graeme Joffe as “Norm”, the off the wall sports analyst.