What do you get when you combine a pub crawl with stand-up comedy? The Magners Singapore International Comedy Festival. Singapore's first ever bar-hopping comedy event takes place from April 23 —26 at 10 venues along Boat Quay including popular haunts like The Penny Black, Molly Malone's and Harry's @ Boat Quay. More than 20 comics from around the world will be in town for the festival and we spoke to three of them — Jason Chong, Imaan Hadchiti and Ria Lina — to find out what we can look forward to.
Jason Chong
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: A little bit nerdy, a little bit wrong and a lotta bit fun.
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A:That’s just the influence of the British. My Singapore experiences are always exciting and fun. Perhaps I should do all my shows on the Transformers ride at Universal Studios. That ride makes me happy and emotional every time.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Eating breakfast when you know the rest of society has already had lunch.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: I keep traveling to countries I haven’t performed in before.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
A: Last night I had a dream that the Bugis Markets had shrunk. I woke up and thought “that’s a little bazaar”.
Imaan Hadchiti
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: The funny kind... Relaxed and conversational.
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A: One cannot generalize... Everyone wants to laugh, especially if they come to a comedy event.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Answering these questions.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: I generally keep all my jokes in the fridge.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
A: A dwarven clairvoyant escaped from prison the other day... She was a small medium at large.
Ria Lina
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: I'm a musical comic, dry, and a little bawdy. If you're easily offended or shocked, I'm not the comic for you!
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A: Buying the ticket is 75% of the work. If they are willing to do 75% of the work, then my 25% is easy. I'm going to have fun; I love what I do, and they can take from that as much as they want to.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Being seen that way! Hecklers, not getting gigs, and seeing things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective is a stereotype from the 1970s. When you love what you do as much as we do there is no hardship, just unfulfilled potential.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: Write.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
My best one-liner is not publishable. The rest of my top-ten are in my show, but I'll give you a one-liner: Have you ever had one of those days when your best friend tells you she's been sleeping with your husband? 'Cause my best friend just had one of those days.
Tickets for the Magners Singapore International Comedy Festival are available through Sistic from $25. For schedules and a full list of performers, visit the festival website.
What do you get when you combine a pub crawl with stand-up comedy? The Magners Singapore International Comedy Festival. Singapore's first ever bar-hopping comedy event takes place from April 23 —26 at 10 venues along Boat Quay including popular haunts like The Penny Black, Molly Malone's and Harry's @ Boat Quay. More than 20 comics from around the world will be in town for the festival and we spoke to three of them — Jason Chong, Imaan Hadchiti and Ria Lina — to find out what we can look forward to.
Jason Chong
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: A little bit nerdy, a little bit wrong and a lotta bit fun.
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A:That’s just the influence of the British. My Singapore experiences are always exciting and fun. Perhaps I should do all my shows on the Transformers ride at Universal Studios. That ride makes me happy and emotional every time.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Eating breakfast when you know the rest of society has already had lunch.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: I keep traveling to countries I haven’t performed in before.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
A: Last night I had a dream that the Bugis Markets had shrunk. I woke up and thought “that’s a little bazaar”.
Imaan Hadchiti
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: The funny kind... Relaxed and conversational.
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A: One cannot generalize... Everyone wants to laugh, especially if they come to a comedy event.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Answering these questions.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: I generally keep all my jokes in the fridge.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
A: A dwarven clairvoyant escaped from prison the other day... She was a small medium at large.
Ria Lina
Q: How would you describe your style of comedy?
A: I'm a musical comic, dry, and a little bawdy. If you're easily offended or shocked, I'm not the comic for you!
Q: Singapore has been described in surveys as an "emotionless" and "unhappy" society; how do you plan to get through to this potentially challenging audience?
A: Buying the ticket is 75% of the work. If they are willing to do 75% of the work, then my 25% is easy. I'm going to have fun; I love what I do, and they can take from that as much as they want to.
Q: Hecklers, not getting gigs, having to see things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective; what's the hardest part of being a comedian?
A: Being seen that way! Hecklers, not getting gigs, and seeing things from a dark, sometimes depressing perspective is a stereotype from the 1970s. When you love what you do as much as we do there is no hardship, just unfulfilled potential.
Q: Many comedians have go-to jokes, but audiences won't be satisfied seeing the same act over and over again. How do you keep things fresh?
A: Write.
Q: Give us your best one-liner.
My best one-liner is not publishable. The rest of my top-ten are in my show, but I'll give you a one-liner: Have you ever had one of those days when your best friend tells you she's been sleeping with your husband? 'Cause my best friend just had one of those days.
Tickets for the Magners Singapore International Comedy Festival are available through Sistic from $25. For schedules and a full list of performers, visit the festival website.