Non-Stop Laughter at Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia 6

PUBLISHED October 20th, 2015 04:00 am | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 09:28 am

Love great comedy? Look no further than the Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia.  This October sees the sixth edition of this made-in-Singapore production, which promises at least two hours of non-stop laughter incited by five handpicked award winning stand up comedians from Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.

Held at Esplanade Theatre for two nights only, this year’s line up features the King and Queen of Comedy (Harith Iskander and Kumar), well-known Gina Yashere from the UK, as well as two rising stars of the local comedy scene – Rishi Budhrani and Rizal Van Geyzel.

Representing the new breed of comedy stars, these young, edgy, and fearless talents deserve their time onstage alongside the big names in global comedy.

The Low Down On Rishi Budhrani and Rizal Van Geyzel:

In October 2012, Rishi became the first Singaporean to win the Annual Hong Kong International Comedy Competition, coming out tops amongst the 30 international comics who competed. This has secured him spots in some of the top comedy clubs in the USA like Gotham Comedy Club, Comic Strip Live, and Acme Comedy Club in 2013.

A modest yet idealistic young man of Malay, Chinese, Turkish, and Dutch descent, Rizal van Geyzel’s atypical ancestry culminated to make him the most typical Malaysian, which is something he acknowledges and puts to great use in his comedy. His mixed descent and upbringing gives him the insight and perspective to poke fun of the various quirks of multicultural Malaysia, ultimately reminding us that race alone does not define the human spirit.

How did you become involved in ‘The Kings and Queen of Comedy’?

Rishi: The organizers, Heazry Salim and Jonathan Atherton, have been grooming and nurturing local comics for many years now and their plan has always been to make sure our local acts grow and get better. We’ve all had to work hard and prove we’re worth the stage and this year, I was invited.  I remember being in the audience a few years back, being back stage a couple of years ago, and eventually, this year, I’ll be on stage. It’s been inspiring to watch the others and learn from them.

Rizal: I would like to say that I’m very flattered and humbled to be a part of this world-class line up. I was actually invited to be in the show but that removes me from my humble position. As a good Malaysian, I’ll just say that I bribed my way in.

Do you know any of the other comedians who are taking part in this event?  Have you worked with them before?

Rishi: I’ve been lucky enough to work with all of the other acts in some capacity, and that’s why, I can say with great confidence that the line up is solid. Gina is a class act with a very powerful connection with any audience. Rizal represents the new wave of Malaysian comedy. Harith is a seasoned master of the craft. And Kumar is, well, Kumar.

Rizal: I do know them as much as I know of their work; I’ve worked with them individually but never all at once. The excitement is killing me. It really is.

The show will be at the Esplanade theatre, so it’s a more formal setting.  What is the challenge of performing at the Esplanade Theatre versus a smaller venue?

Rishi: When you’re performing in a club or a bar, it’s always tougher because you have distractions: music, bar staff, drinks, conversation, background noise etc. But at the theatre, you have everyone’s undivided attention. So, on one hand, once you figure out your technical aspects of playing to the circles and managing sound, it’s actually more fun.  When that wave of laughter from 2,000 people hits you, the feeling is out of this world.

Rizal: There’s no other challenge in stand up other than being yourself and, most of all, being funny in any setting. If anything, I have problems picking out something nice to wear. I can’t just wear what I normally wear, which is a sarong and slippers. Or can I?

Why should the Singapore public attend this show?

Rishi: The line up; the no-holds barred content; and the track record of the comedy club. This is the 6th edition of this show, and although the line up changes every year, there hasn’t been a bad show, ever.

Rizal: Not only will you have Kumar, Gina Yashere and Harith Iskander sharing the stage together; grassroots comedians like Rishi and myself will be performing, which is one of the prerogatives of The Comedy Club Asia. They not only bring in international acts but also help grow the local comedy scene. The public should recognize this and always support the local comedy scene.

Catch this amazing line up at the Esplanade Theatre from 23 to 24 October 2015, 9pm to midnight.  For more information and tickets, visit The Comedy Club Asia’s website or SISTIC.

Kings & Queen of Comedy Asia is organized by The Comedy Club Asia, which was established in 2009. The Comedy Club Asia also organizes Talk Cock Comedy; Stand up for Singapore and the Singapore Comedy Fringe.