Harvest Your Monthly Laugh with Funny Farm

I’m going to start this blog post by throwing some facts at you, just because I can. Did you know? According to an article from – yes –  the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH), the average adult laughs 17 times a day while a child laughs… 300 times a day! That’s a sharp imbalance there. The careless playfulness of childhood might prove a tad difficult to regain, but luckily that’s where comedy rolls in for us big, serious people. Need I say more? Why, let me give you three words: Comedy Club China. 

That’s right! Last month, Beijing’s favourite bunch of comedians launched and promptly sold out a brand new show – Funny Farm. You know what they say; you either reinvent yourself, or else you become redundant. Well, maybe not redundant, but…look, let’s just say, the laughter isn’t stopping any time soon with these folks. Doubtful that they’ll help you reach your 300 giggles a day? Then dig into this interview with British teacher, writer and stand-up comedian Louis Dowling. 

Hi Louis! Let’s start with a smile. I’ve known you for a while, and I still thought you were a Scottish native. Let it be known that you hail from Liverpool. 
Quite honestly, I was cracking up for a good while with that!

Haha, never mind me. So! Why did you name this new show Funny Farm? What is it all about?
Good question! I decided on that name due to alliterative and metaphorical reasons. A farm is where farmers breed cattle or cultivate crops, right? Well, that’s one of the goals with Funny Farm – helping local comedians to grow. The show is also meant to provide a platform for more seasoned comedians to try out fresh material. Last but not least, we want to entertain our diverse audiences with an equally diverse range of talent for a very affordable ticket price. Our tickets are a measly RMB 40 for presale and RMB 75 at the door. 

Oh, and a side note – the wonderful venue for our show is Herbal Bar in Sanlitun. See, it’s all about crops here, haha.

Laugh today, laugh tomorrow! Who’s currently part of your motley crue?
We aim to give time to newly-minted comedians, as well as more experienced comedians with fresh jokes. The lineup is switched every month. Take our next show, scheduled for Sun 27 Mar unless the current circumstances make it advisable to postpone it. Justin will be hosting a lineup featuring an exciting mixture of old and new with a few guest stars. Some are veterans, such as Daniel. Russell, Lina, Michael, Zou Lu and Summer who are all experienced comics. Nico is joining us from the scene in Kunming, Leo is the youngest of the bunch at only 17 years old, and there are some wonderful first timers such as Edge. Needless to say, it’s also a perfect blend of fellow foreigners and Chinese folk. We really mean it with our purpose for this show. 

Amazing. What would you say is the force driving these comedians to the stage?
That’s something that never ceases to fascinate me. Every single one of them is motivated by different reasons or aspirations. One of our inaugural performers, Cale Holmes, started his stand-up comedy journey during his school days in New York, but he didn’t fully commit to it until he moved to China in 2019. He believes comedy pushes boundaries with levity and laughter, but he also adds some introspection to his own.

For others, stand-up comedy provides an opportunity to cultivate their social skills, improve their self-confidence and overall face their daily challenges with a brighter attitude. It’s something I actually admire. Often, all we need is an unorthodox solution to our issues. 

Now those are some wise words. What can you predict for future editions of Funny Farm and how can the audience find you?
In the future, we want to keep showcasing new, never-been-seen-before talent. We also have some interesting ideas in the pipeline. An all-female Funny Farm, perhaps? Stay tuned with us by subscribing to our WeChat account, ComedyClubChina!

Funny Farm will take place at 7pm Mar 27 at Herbal Bar. Tickets are RMB 40 in advance and RMB 75 on the door, scan the QR code on the poster to purchase tickets.

Herbal Bar
Shoukaibojun South District Building, 41-021, 12 Xindong Lu (next to XL Bar and Grill), Chaoyang District
朝阳区新东路12号首开铂君南区41-021 （广发银行后院，XL Bar旁边）

READ: How He Went From Zero to Hero: An Interview with Standup Comedian Donnie Fan

Images: Comedy Club China