Lack of parental support for alternative careers: organiser of all-Asian comedy show
Singapore comedian Esther Low is part of a new breed of comedians making a mark in Singapore and beyond. Photo: The Comedy Store
By: Angela Low
The founder behind a recently-held comedy event showcasing all-Asian faces believes comedy is not a route often taken as a serious career path in Singapore.
According to the founder, The Comedy Store’s Quilliam Deane Potter, there is a severe lack of representation in Asian comedy, an issue he laid at the door of traditional Asian parenting.
“The main issue is parents allowing their children to follow it as career. Asian parents are more interested in kids getting safe jobs that pay well,” he said.
As alternative careers such as comedy often get shot down, potential talents are detracted from pursuing the craft on a more professional level and denied the opportunity to make a name for themselves.
This gap propelled Potter to create the stand-up show “Asian Invasion Comedy”, the first in Singapore to feature an all-Asian line-up. Debuting last Thursday to Saturday at the DBS Arts Centre, the show featured acts from all over the globe, including Singaporean voices, providing them with a proper platform that elevates other Asian comics.
“(I’m) fed up of people thinking Russell Peters is the only Asian comedian,” he lamented.
“It’s like thinking Madonna is the only musician. It’s true he is the rock star of Asian comedy, but there are many other Asian comedians who work just as hard and are just as funny but don’t get the recognition.”
The inaugural edition of the show featured the likes of Eliot Chang from the United States, Evelyn Mok from the United Kingdom, Atsuko Okatsuka from Japan, and Marie Wong, Esther Low and Crispy The Talking Cock from Singapore.
Said Low, “I hope for it to be a great learning experience and an eye-opener working with people from around the world.”
The funnywoman got her start in the scene performing at “Singapore Stripped: A Comedy Roast of The Lion City”, sharing the stage with Crispy The Talking Cock.
But that’s not all she does. The adroit multi-hyphenate is also a prolific thespian and an accomplished indie musician, calling herself Esther Lowless and her music, art rock.
Wong, on the other hand, has been running the open-mic stand-up comedy circuit regularly. She can often be spotted at Singaporean comedy clubs, such as the Prince of Wales Backpacker Pub and The Penny Black.
“Comedy diversifies all cultures and hopefully I will be able to poke some fun at our own kind,” she said.
“There have been loads of Western stand-up comedians coming through Singapore in recent years,” said Potter. “So, why not give Asians a showcase purely on their own? It’s about time!”
