In Sydney, a group of young Chinese performers are using stand-up comedy to create community and belonging for their audiences.
In a small Burwood pub, Irene Wang is regaling her audience with stories of growing up in Northeast China. "I thought to myself, 'This girl can really hit me?'" Irene says in her native dialect about a childhood incident, then smirks. "God, she can."
For a moment, her expression is awkward. Then the audience laughs heartily.
Tonight is an open mic comedy performance, put on by emerging comedy label Wildland (formerly known as On the Road or OTR), and the performers like Irene are practicing their new scripts.
Sometimes the audience laughs loudly, sometimes they smile knowingly. And sometimes they fall silent, that moment that all comedians fear most.
But usually this audience appreciates the jokes. They are mostly Chinese speakers living in Sydney. And they’re finding community and a sense of belonging amid the laughter.
Connecting communities and celebrating identity
Stand-up comedy is still growing in China. It first became popular in 2012, after the runaway success of Tonight's 80s Talk Show, a comedy special broadcast on the Shanghai-based Dragon TV.
Since then, a host of well-known performers have emerged, including Yang Li, Fu Hang and Xiao Lu, while hundreds of small comedy clubs had sprung up across China, with ticket sales for popular shows rivalling those of concerts.
But the Chinese stand-up scene in Sydney is largely undeveloped. So, after graduating from the University of Sydney’s Business School, Irene founded her own comedy label in October 2024. "I wanted to find a place to do stand-up comedy, but there was no such platform in Sydney at the time ... so I wanted to have a place to do it myself."
Since the label started, it has launched three contracted comedians, who perform regularly at Wildland shows and are promoted by the team. It’s one of several emerging Chinese stand-up comedy groups gaining popularity among Sydney’s Chinese-speaking audiences. Other comedy groups include Houchang and Xixiao.
Doing Chinese stand-up isn’t just about getting laughs; it’s also a way for the Chinese community to connect and celebrate their cultural identity.
Many Chinese people gather after work to listen to fellow Chinese speakers tell jokes that recall the particularities of their cultural identity. "You can also listen to people talk about various things in life," says Scarlet, one of the Burwood pub audience members. "This is part of the sense of belonging."
Polishing performances
Tonight, Irene is hosting as well as performing. She closely watches the audience's reactions to the performances.
At the end of the night, the performers sit in a circle, discussing script changes, and Irene’s feedback helps them revise the parts that the audience didn't respond to. By polishing the script, the result will be the best it can be.
In 2023, Chinese stand-up comedy got a shakeup when a member of popular comedy group Xiaoguo Culture used a military slogan to describe his dog running fast during an offline performance. The remark was shared online by an audience member, sparking controversy.
The performer was suspended indefinitely, while the company was investigated and fined 14.7 million yuan (US$2 million). The incident sparked debate around the boundaries of comedy, censorship and its role in Chinese society. And the industry came to a near-complete standstill, while comedy stand-up variety shows, which had been broadcast annually, were cancelled.
Performances resumed in 2024, but performing comedy in China can be difficult. For example, performers must submit a performance script, and the transcript must be reviewed by the cultural and tourism bureau of the performance venue before it can be performed.
In Australia, comedy scripts don’t need to be approved, but the Wildland team review them to take out any content that crosses a red line. These red lines include racial discrimination, anti-social behaviour and plagiarism. The performers abide by these because, while they want their comedy to push boundaries, they don’t want it to harm others or undermine the community.
Back at the Burwood pub, the English-speaking bartender twists his body towards the stage during the performances, even though he doesn’t understand the jokes. Perhaps one day the group might perform in English, not least because the market would be much larger?
"Maybe we will try," Irene says. "But Chinese is indeed our main development direction, because we want to express the Chinese people overseas … We also love Chinese, because [the language] has a lot to express."
Laughing at life
Rolla takes the stage in Burwood. In October 2024, the now 22-year-old was in the audience for a show and, after watching that, she wanted to give it a try, so she signed up to perform.
Many of the performers in the group started in the same way. The friendly atmosphere and low barrier to entry makes it easy for people to try stand up. And open mic sessions give everyone a chance to perform.
It’s worth it for the comedy label too, because each performer brings their own audience, helping to build the Wildland fanbase.
Rolla has been nicknamed a "tipsy" performer by her fellow comedians because most of the time she speaks slowly and has a blank expression. It’s as if she hasn't quite woken up yet or had alcohol before going on stage. As she performs, she looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world, but afterwards she explains that most of her stories come from her real-life anger.
Stand-up has become a way for her to express herself, a way to fight back against the unfairness she’s seen and experienced.
"[For example,] I talked about my ex-boyfriend, and that was my true feelings," she says. "I think women are still in a disadvantaged position in this society."
Typically, a script takes a month or two to go from initial conception to performance. Tonight, Rolla is trying a new approach, changing her onstage persona from a "tipsy" character to an angry student.
But the audience's response is lukewarm, and Rolla is disappointed, as she knows she’ll need to revise the script again. When it comes to choosing between the audience's response and being herself, she knows she’ll choose the audience.
There are ten actors at this open mic performance, and only two are men. Rolla says she feels free in places where there are many female creators.
"Last year [Chinese TV] broadcast two comedy shows: one is Stand-Up Comedy and Friends 2024 and the other is The King of Stand-up Comedy. I prefer the latter because its director and chief screenwriter are both women. It's not that women must do better than men, but I see more emotions in the show."
So, what does it means to be a Chinese-speaking female comedian in Sydney? "It means a possibility," Rolla says, looking squarely at me.
What’s next?
Only 10 of the 20 or so audience members bought tickets for tonight’s performance. The rest are supportive friends and family. Low-cost margins, a reliance on organic publicity and the lack of sponsorship mean profits are slim.
But Irene remains upbeat: "The overseas market is very scarce now, and the market demand for Chinese-language comedy in Australia is also being developed," she says.
"[But] I can clearly feel that the trend is getting better and better. Although the progress is slow, the trend is steadily rising."
Wildland is mainly promoted through word of mouth and social media, particularly through Chinese social platforms. Audience member Scarlet came to the show after reading a post on Xiaohongshu. "I think Chinese stand-up comedies are also a way for us to find our own ‘partners-in-crime’," she says, of meeting like-minded young Chinese people in Sydney.
Irene looks serious when she thinks about where she hopes the label will be in a year.
"I hope that at least one of our label's performers will be remembered by people in Sydney. It doesn't matter who it is, I hope everyone will remember her or him.
Back at the Burwood pub, the audience applauds as she closes the show with a final speech. "Today is an open mic, so the quality is actually uneven. Please don't scold us online if it doesn't meet your expectations. But thank you for the audience's tolerance!"
Some people laughed at the scene because some people's jokes were indeed not that funny, and the audience knew it. But far from the Chinese mainland, laughter is a great way to connect with community.