fri 27/12/2024

Ronny Chieng, Soho Theatre | reviews, news & interviews

Ronny Chieng, Soho Theatre

Ronny Chieng, Soho Theatre

Refreshingly original material from Australian newcomer

Ronny Chieng riffs on his multinational background

Newcomer Ronny Chieng doesn't waste any time trying to get the audience on his side. He outlines his interesting ethnic background – born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, several years spent in the United States and Singapore, and he did a law degree in Australia - but that mix is distilled into his Chinese ethnicity and its innate superiority to anything Western.

He says he's tried reclaiming the word 'chink', in the style of black rappers and the n-word

It's a refreshing approach, as generally comics crave our affection. In The Ron Way Chieng runs through various stereotypes about Chinese and other Asian people – “they're bad drivers and have small dicks” - and upends them, while at the same time liberally insulting his (mostly white) audience: “I'm the whitest guy in Malaysia. Except for the white guys fucking our women.”

Most of Chieng's act is based on his ethnicity and the barbed view he has of Westerners, with their less than clean habits – wearing shoes in the house, he says, is just weird – and their amazement that whole countries, including Malaysia, can be good at maths.

He says he's tried reclaiming the word “chink”, in the style of black rappers and the n-word, but passing other Chinese men in the street and saying “Stay yellow, my fellows” doesn't quite cut it. He also talks about being single at 27 (“40 in Chinese years”), and there are two very well performed set pieces on dealing with his mum's lack of internet knowledge and modern men's view of women.

There's less striking material, about dating, the golden age of the internet when it was troll-free, and other everyday matters. And, while the arrogance shtick wears a little thin and the hour could do with a little more light and shade, one can see why he won the 2012 Melbourne Comedy Festival best newcomer jointly with Matt Okine. One to watch.

  • Ronny Chieng is at Soho Theatre, London W1 until 7 September
Most of Chieng's act is based on his ethnicity and the barbed view he has of Westerners

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters