A: My love life is a mess.
B: Have you tried going to a fortune teller?
A: Yeah. I went to one ask about my love life, and I couldn’t believe it—he just said to me, “You trying to give me a hard time?!”
B: What kind of fortune teller did you go to?
A: A face reader. Have you ever heard of a fortune teller saying something like that?
B: It’s your fault for asking him that kind of question.
A: Why shouldn’t I?
B: Well just look at the face you brought with you to talk about romance!
A: Hey, I can only go with the face that I have!
B: Then don’t be surprised if your romantic future doesn’t “look good.” Just “face facts”!
A: Ouch! Another slap in the face!
The whole place explodes in laughter.
This was the scene at a performance of the new-wave humor troupe Yubon Theater. The two comedians, who are part of the group, are known as the Houdao Brothers, and their specialty is Japanese style manzai, comic dialogues akin to Chinese “crosstalk” or the old Abbott and Costello routines in US cinema. Starting in 2011, they have been doing a series of shows on the theme of “dumb to start with, and very, very confused.” Using wulitou humor (a Cantonese style of jokes in which a person rambles on nonsensically, but somehow there is truth or wisdom in what they say), non sequiturs, fast rhythmic patter, and cutting remarks, they poke fun at the hypocrisy in how people treat each other.
The Comedy Club, founded in 2007, has been up and running for six years now. The layout and décor leave virtually zero space between stage and audience, so there is a great deal of interactivity, making it a great place for stressed-out office workers to let off steam. However, because the club only seats 70, even with seven performances per week it’s often difficult to get a ticket.
Even that, nonetheless, is part of the charm.
The English language stand-up comedy show, held every Saturday night, is a fixture at the Comedy Club, and has been running continuously since the venue opened.