Mirth Control by Katie Lau @ SCMP

(From South China Morning Post, 10 October 2008)
Mirth control When it comes to raising a laugh, female comedians are finally finding a voice, writes Katie Lau

Humour is largely a male domain on the Hong Kong stage, with names such as Jim Chim Shui-man and Dayo Wong Chi-wah leading the field. However, a few women are making a name for themselves by delivering comedy combining humour and storytelling with intimate takes on life.

Among the best known are Wong Wing-sze and Kearen Pang Sau-wai, who often draw on personal experiences to develop material for their shows. Wong, for instance, came up with the script for her wickedly comical look at death, My Grandmother's Funeral, after her grandparent died two years ago.

It prompted the actress-playwright to do some soul-searching. "I thought to myself, what is life?" Wong recalls. "More than 200 relatives showed up at my grandmother's funeral, but where were they when she was alive? What about me? What would it be like when I die?"

Although her family has run a funeral business for generations, Wong knows little about mourning rituals. Nevertheless, Funeral is an excellent vehicle for her brand of dark humour. The show, which premiered in January, has been so well received it is beginning a third run next week.

Wong says the humour stems from an instinct to laugh her way out of bleak situations. "I laugh because that's how I escape from unpleasant situations. In essence, comedy is tragedy going to the extreme.

"If you can see the humour in a serious situation, you can relieve some of the sorrow. What's important is not the subjects I bring up, but the meaning behind them ... My kind of comedy might be intense and discomfiting, but when the show is over you feel better ... To me, humour is a way of life. It makes your life much easier if you can laugh away your blues," she says.

It's too bad there aren't more gutsy performers like Wong, says clinical psychologist Annie Ho Nim-chee, who used to perform standup herself. Lamenting the dearth of women in comedy, she says: "Hong Kong women can be funny. They just need more courage to express themselves."

Those who have the nerve for it, usually the younger generation of actresses, are seen as trailblazers, says theatre critic Cheung Ping-kuen, who is also head of liberal arts studies at the Academy for Performing Arts.

"While men are often interested in big social issues, women tend to explore their inner emotions. This sensitivity can give women an advantage because they are perceived as more cool," Cheung says. "And women talking about subjects such as sex tend to be seen as groundbreaking and rebellious, whereas men doing the same are likely to be dismissed as tasteless and vulgar."

Wong, an actress with Theatre Ensemble before she took up scriptwriting, says writing for herself suited her. "Going it alone allows me to do whatever I want and I don't have to write five characters to express what I want to say," she says.

Her dark humour shines through in previous productions such as the award-winning Beyond Our Ken and Wetlands of a Woman, a dance-drama exploring themes such as female identity and sexuality, but Funeral is the first of her own works that she has acted in.

Lucia Leung Sin-kwan, a popular blogger on the local theatre scene, is impressed at how Wong challenges audiences by weaving philosophical discussions about love and family into imaginative scenarios infused with offbeat humour. "It isn't like anything I've seen before," she says.

Among her favourites is Wong's play The Happy Valley is Very Happy, about a group of homeless teenagers haunted by the spirit of a girl's dead mother. "It is oddly amusing but very inspirational," says Leung.

Like Wong, Pang embarked on a solo career because she wanted to develop material that was close to her heart. "I wasn't confident enough to write a play and ask others to act in it. I couldn't afford it anyway. So why not do everything myself?" says Pang.

A former member of the Chung Ying Theatre Company, Pang has won audiences over with her combination of expressive body language and sharply observed banter that explores themes ranging from nostalgia to relationships to the transience of life. Women relate particularly to her work, perhaps because the material rings true.

"I don't think much about what the audience wants, but what I want to say and how I say it. It's not necessarily autobiographical but it's deeply personal," says Pang, who was named best comedy actress at this year's Hong Kong Drama Awards.

The writer-actress teamed up with former radio host Juanita Cheng, aka Missy HyperBB, in Sleepless Potatoes, a comedy talk-show poking fun at what keeps Hong Kong women awake at night. Last month, Pang starred in the fifth run of 29+1, her breakthrough play about the dilemmas faced by a woman turning 30.

Her one-woman play captures the dreams and fears of women reaching that milestone with insight and sensitivity. She tells audiences: "Entering your 30s is like having an alarm clock that might go off any minute. The pressure is on. When you catch up with friends, they are not interested in your life but in your skin condition and what skincare products you use."

Despite her slew of comedic successes, Pang refuses to be pigeonholed. "I don't call myself a comedy actress. I just think that humour is essential in getting my message across. My comedy should not just make you laugh, but make you think as well," she says. "But standup is a huge challenge because the audience expects to laugh, not just to be told a story. I get very nervous but I'm game for anything."

At Pip Theatre, "Hatou" Yeung Sze-man isn't ready to go out on her own yet but says she's developing her comic potential under the tutelage of funnyman Chim, its artistic director. "I'm honing my craft here because I have the guidance and encouragement I need. Just playing roles handed to me felt limiting after a while and I wanted to explore what I can be. I hope to be an outstanding female comic but I need to work on my own style first and that may take a while."

Yeung is keen to take on the challenge of standup comedy, but only on her own terms. "To bring it to the local stage, you have to mix it with a bit of drama, role play and other elements. That's how we make it our own," she says.

Yeung also looks to everyday life for inspiration in developing her material. Themes in her new skits include how an obsession with pop idols led to a rethink of her relationship with her father, and finding self-worth in a culture fixated on physical perfection.
"I like to share topics that connect me with others and present them in a way that they can identify with, too."

My Grandmother's Funeral (Halloween version), Oct 14-18, 21-25, 8pm; Oct 25, 2.30pm; Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd, Central, $180. HKTicketing: 3128 8288. In Cantonese

Caption: Wong Wing-sze (right) and Kearen Pang (far right) are known for their unique brand of comedy. ; Wong Wing-sze (far right), in My Grandmother's Funeral. Yeung Sze-man's standup performance at Comic One Festival (right).

Photographer: Felix Wong, courtesy of Wong Wing-sze and Pip Cultural Industry