Comedian Mark Goding has a routine called Cliche Squad about stock film characters from Vietnam War movies: the grizzled gunny sergeant, the ambitious young lieutenant, the white southern racist, the black-consciousness figure. “I distilled them all down into one cliched Vietnam movie which I made for many characters to play but which I’ve ended up doing all myself,” he said.
If you live in Taichung you can see the routine in its most polished form tomorrow night, as part of Taipei Comedy Circuit comes to Taichung, the first live multi-act comedy act at The Londoner.
Other scheduled acts include headliner Hartley Pool, Matt “The Puppet Guy” Bronsil, The Taichung Improv Group and organizer Tom Levene, a newcomer to the comedy scene. Hartley, just back from three weeks of comedy gigs in London, says his material will be much more “Taiwan-centric” and “less of the one-liners that I do in the UK.” Among the (printable) one-liners people won’t hear tomorrow: “I’ve noticed on Oxford Road the first ever shop for one-legged people.” Awkward pause. “It’s called Foot Lacker.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAICHUNG IMPROV
Bronsil is an American ventriloquist who ad-libs with the audience and has been known to bring an audience member on stage to finish off his act. The Taichung Improv Group, represented tomorrow by Matt Bronsil and Josh Myers, works with the audience to produce a skit.
The Londoner is located at 143, Huamei W St Sec1, Taichung City (台中市華美西街一段143號) Call (04) 2314-6919 or visit www.londoner.com.tw for more information. NT$350 admission includes one Heineken. Show starts at 10pm sharp.
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