A year spent splitting sides

THE BANGKOK Comedy Club |is tonight celebrating its first anniversary as the city’s only dedicated English-language laughter emporium. Hats are off to creative directors Chris Wegoda and Drew McCreadie for hosting professional stand-up gigs and wildly improvisational shows by both local and foreign talent every Friday. Let the good times roll and the diversity of entertainment choices widen further.
“We’ve been integral to developing the local scene in both stand-up and improv comedy and firmly established ourselves as the go-to place for comedy every week,” says Wegoda. “It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been tremendous fun.”
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done in developing the comedy scene here,” adds McCreadie. “We’ve been offering workshops in both improv and stand-up and been providing opportunities for up-and-comers to have a shot in front of a real audience with our open-mic nights and the rookie segments in our improv shows. The scene is growing in |Bangkok and we’re excited |to be part of it.”
McCreadie says the club hopes to be part of an inaugural International Comedy Festival this year and also plans to increase the number of shows it presents, including Thai-language comedy nights.
Tonight’s anniversary gala has the sharply observational American comedian Matt Davis, and we had a riot quizzing him about his plans for Bangkok.

WHEN DID YOUR CAREER IN THE FUNNY STUFF BEGIN?
I did my first set – if you can even call it that – at the age of 17 in Birmingham, Alabama. My buddy Drew [McCreadie] handed me a flyer for the local open-mic. And I just never stopped after that.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALISE YOU WERE FUNNY?
Oh, I don’t know. I talked about it a lot growing up. Somewhere between high school and breaking some vertebrae in my back during sophomore year at college I started taking it seriously. But I’d attribute it more to the ignorance and arrogance of youth than “knowing” I was funny.

WHERE ELSE HAVE YOU PERFORMED?
I’ve done JFL42 in Toronto, the Sketch Fest in San Francisco, the KL Fest in Kuala Lumpur and a bunch of others. Just for Laughs in Montreal is my favourite.
ARE YOUR SKETCHES SCRIPTED?
They’re mostly prepared – I’m not winging it! – but I’m not locked into it.

WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR MATERIAL?
Most of my material is about my reaction to things, even if I say differently on stage. All the characters I do are really me. Even a joke about US politics or ice cream is really about something dumb I thought or did. I hope that’s a vague and generalised enough answer.

WHO’S THE TOUGHEST CROWD TO CRACK?
Lobsters. Well, unless you boil them first. But I suppose that’s true of any crowd.

WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST PARTS ABOUT BEING A COMEDIAN?
It’s people assuming that I’m going to be telling jokes all the time, like a cartoon. And, yes, that was the answer to both parts of the question.

ARE THERE DO’S AND DON’TS FOR PEOPLE WATCHING A COMEDY SHOW?
Do come to listen and laugh. Don’t interrupt or take anything seriously – even that one thing you think is purely serious, especially that. Oh, and I hear you laugh more if you don’t wear a bra.

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE COMEDIAN?
That list is huge, but Richard Pryor is my favourite.

WHAT HAVE YOU PREPARED FOR BANGKOK TONIGHT?
Jokes, fool!

Catch Matt Davis at the Comedy Club Bangkok tonight. Admission is Bt750.
The club is on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1, close to the Phrom Phong BTS station.
Get more details at [email protected]