China’s emerging stand-up comedy scene draws young people

Under ceiling fans in crowded bars, an edgier form of entertainment is emerging in China, one that reflects greater cultural freedom – stand-up comedy.

The jokes told in these settings depart sharply from traditional routines of trained Chinese entertainers, who work in pairs and tell age-old tales. This small, new breed of comedians faces the microphone alone in live settings that are more conducive to personal storytelling, on topics that resonate with modern audiences – relationships, jobs, parents and children.

During a recent Sunday line-up of seven acts at a Beijing bar, the only female comedian, Wang Yafei, joked about how she defied Chinese societal norms by pursuing men instead of waiting to be romanced.

Zhao Yu, 24, one of about 120 people in the packed room, said Wang was her favourite comedian on the night. “She speaks out what preys on my mind,” she said. “In my life there’s a man I adore, and I would really like to be able to pursue him.”

Stand-up, performed mostly in a handful of larger cities, is gaining a following among people likely to have first seen the genre on TV or online. These shows appear styled on late-night American TV, with hosts who tell jokes, often sitting behind a desk.

While TV and online shows tend to have non-stop one- liners to keep the audience from turning over, stand-up routines are gaining popularity because they are personal, edgy and vulnerable.

“Most of the ideas for these jokes come from real-life experiences, so we the audience can readily relate to them,” said Zhang Jingjing, from Beijing. “All the performers are creative and what I value most are their thoughts expressed freely, without any of the constraints and censorship that TV and other traditional media in China have.”

Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong said live stand-up is catching on in China, but needs more performers. They all have regular jobs and moonlight as comedians.

Two years ago, there was just one comedy club and perhaps one show a month, he said. “Now there are four or five in Beijing alone, and almost every night of the week you can find some kind of stand-up.”

A comedian with a timid style, Song Qiyu, held up a piece of paper with a U-shaped graph showing the relationship between having a standard Mandarin accent and a sense of humour.

He said if you have a bad Mandarin accent, like himself, that’s funny. On the other extreme of the “U” are the anchors on state broadcaster CCTV, who are famed for speaking flawless Mandarin while delivering irony-free propaganda. Those anchors, he said, are just as hilarious, finishing his act to applause.

Tony Chou, the organiser and host of the recent show in the Beijing bar, said China is developing and modernising “but the cultural things are still far behind”.

Stand-up comedy, however, is “something that catches up with people’s lives”.

“It’s a sign of cultural freedom and a way of life of the new generation in China.

“It’s a big, big transformation.”

artslife@thenational.ae