Stand-up for Singapore: Comedians redefining humour in the Lion City
PHOTO: Instagram/Sharul Channa
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 01, 2024 9:30 AMByFarhan Shafie
Twelve comedians for the price of one ticket? Yes, please! In June, I attended a stand-up comedy variety show called Happy Ever Laughter.
Produced by Dream Academy — known for staging Dim Sum Dollies and Broadway Beng — the event featured luminaries such as Hossan Leong, Fakkah Fuzz and Pam Oei. It made for a super fun date night that left me and my partner in stitches all evening.
The show also introduced me to a whole cast of comedians who brought their own brand of wicked, uniquely Singaporean humour. Some familiar names appeared in the line-up, including Noah Yap of Ah Boys to Men fame, who was making his "live" stand-up debut.
But others were new to me and left such an indelible impression that I made it a point to Google them right after the show. For their sharp social commentary and hilarious digs at Singaporean quirks, here are five local comedians you should definitely keep on your radar.
Sharul Channa
Claim to fame: Sharul Channa is Singapore’s only full-time female stand-up comedian. She has performed to packed audiences across Asia and Australia, with one of her sets even featured on Comedy Central.
I didn’t know any of this before the show, but I later learned that she recently made headlines for being forced to cancel a sold-out show in Malaysia just days before she was supposed to perform. The reason? Well, she spilled the beans during her segment, and let’s just say her entire retelling of the experience was comedic gold.
Comedic style: She strikes me as a R-rated, sarcastic version of Lily Singh or Chelsea Handler. Her wittiness and razor-sharp comedic takedowns really shine through.
Best material: Her anecdotes about being married to fellow comedian Rishi Budhrani, getting cancelled in Malaysia, and her observations about her neighbours’ choice of swimwear — all delivered with trademark barbs and comedic self-awareness.
Hafidz Rahman
Claim to fame: Hafidz Rahman is best known in the Malay community for his online makcik persona, Bonda Bedah. He also has a horror podcast Berhantu which showcases his skills as a compelling storyteller.
Comedic style: Clad in his signature tudung, Hafidz is a total hoot, portraying the stereotype of a makcik bawang or Malay Karen aunty. We all know someone like this in our community or family, which makes his act all too relatable.
Best material: Hafidz espouses the values of a makcik in nonchalant fashion — health, why a son can do no wrong, safety, and for some reason, Henry Golding.
Jacky Ng
Claim to fame: I first heard of Jacky Ng through his regular appearances on the More Better comedy podcast by Fakkah Fuzz. He soon caught my attention when he did a comedy-style pro wrestling match for a Singapore wrestling promotion, Ring of Rebirth.
Comedic style: A foul-mouthed straight shooter with a penchant for insult humour and angry self-deprecation, he reminds me of Bill Burr or Ronny Chieng.
Best material: I loved his anecdotes about growing up in a boy's school, playing football — which led to a hilarious bit about our current National Team captain Hariss Harun — and the origin behind the colloquial slang "your mother" and why it’s such an effective punchline.
Siti Khalijah
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Claim to fame: Beloved theatre actress and multiple-time National Day Parade hostess, Siti K. I've seen her in various plays over the years, and she has such a bubbly, magnetic personality. I never knew she was also a stand-up comedian, but boy, did she deliver!
Comedic style: Dressed as her Ariana Grande alter ego, she launched into a parody of “Bang Bang” which was an absolute delight.
Best material: From her comical put downs of Taylor Swift’s backup dancer speaking Singlish, Siti K shows us the right way to appeal to Singaporeans — including marketing her own brand of Sambal Siti Venti. Oh, did I mention she is an incredible singer as well? Siti’s natural charisma, impressive vocals, and comical lyrical ingenuity had the crowd cheering wildly as if we were at a Siti K concert. I left the night an even bigger fan of this multi-hyphenate.
Prem John
Claim to fame: You might recognise Mediacorp actor Prem John from the Channel 5 show Sunny Side Up, but on this night, he was also making his "live" stand-up comedy debut.
Comedic style: As an actor trying to break into comedy, Prem is already a natural. His self-deprecation and willingness to poke fun at his various acting roles were a riot. He reminds me of Joey Tribbiani from Friends in his delivery style.
Best material: Prem was unabashedly honest about his experiences as an actor and why he is always stereotyped for certain roles. According to him, it's either a lawyer or a criminal on Crime Watch! Despite it being his first time on stage, Prem exuded charisma and charm, with clever punchlines that left the audience laughing, yet smitten at the same time. My girlfriend was definitely impressed!
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This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.