Chengdu Based Comedian Leon is “Cooler Than You” This Friday
This Friday (Jul 5) catch Leon, one of Chengdu’s longest tenured comedians, with his show “Cooler Than You”. Currently touring the show around China, Leon will be performing at Green Box, Nanyang Theater. Supported by fellow Chengdu based comedian Nico Too Much as well as other local comedians Michaela Zhao, Luke Zou and Chen Chen it’s one evening of comedy you don’t want to miss! Ahead of the show we got in touch with Leon to find out more about his comedy journey.
How long have you been doing stand-up comedy for?
I started in 2014 but it was only in 2021 that I became a regular performer.
What made you decide to start doing comedy and how did you get started?
Ever since I was a kid I was always the class clown. So, saying something outrageous and grabbing everybody’s attention wasn’t that difficult for me. In 2010, I started to watch comedy specials regularly to study English and American humor. And I realized that comedians can actually utilize the stage to deliver messages with great social significance. That was the moment when stand-up became not just an art form of stage performance but also literature [in my mind]. In 2014, I found out that there was a café in my school that hosted open mics every Tuesday. I signed up and gave it a try, and immediately fell in love with it.
What was it like doing stand-up for the first time?
It was quite a ride. I was super nervous and had too much coffee. But fortunately, most jokes landed.
What have been your best and worst moments since doing comedy?
Best moment: In November 2022, I co-headlined for the first time. 70 percent of my jokes were new because I wanted to give my audience a fresh experience. It was risky, so I just took a leap of faith, and it worked.
Worst moment: One time in early 2022, I hosted an open mic and got heckled by one particular dude so much that my rhythm and composure were way off.
How do you feel about performing in Beijing for the first time?
I am very nervous and excited right now. Every time you perform in a new city, it’s going to be a great learning experience regardless. I am just not sure what I am going to learn yet.
Your upcoming show in Beijing is called “Cooler Than You” why did you decide to call it this?
Donnie Fan actually helped me to come up with this title. Like many comics, a lot of my jokes are centered around those embarrassing experiences where I was constantly trying to be cooler than other people but eventually failed. I guess the moral of the story is that stay true to who you really are.
What comedians would you say have influenced you most?
In the beginning, Katt Williams and Dov Davidoff. Later on, when I decided to become a serious comic, Nate Bargatze, Tom Segura and Anthony Jeselnik were the ones who inspired me the most.
You’re based in Chengdu, how would you describe the comedy scene there?
I think we have a great sense of camaraderie here. The atmosphere is quite inspiring and encouraging. Veteran comics are always trying to help out new comics and new comics always take the club and the scene very seriously.
Lastly, any words of advice for other budding comedians out there?
I’d say always stay humble to your audience. Being a comic means that you are 60 percent an artist and 40 percent a salesperson. Maybe you can write the smartest jokes on the planet, but if you can’t sell your material to the audience for their laughs, you are not going to go anywhere. Take some time and study your audience’s sense of humor, and write accordingly.
Especially for those who are working in China right now, the English comedy scene in most Chinese cities is very different from their counterparts in the West. In order to maintain an audience, you have to know how to work with other comics and your crowd. Here, we’re the generation that plants the seeds that future generations can harvest and truly become stars.
Leon’s show “Cooler Than You” will be showing at Green Box, Nanyang Hutong #6 at 7.30pm, Friday, Jul 5. Early bird tickets with no drink are RMB 98, early bird tickets with a drink are RMB 128, regular tickets with no drink are RMB 120 and regular tickets with a drink are RMB 150. Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR code in the poster above.
Green Box, Nanyang Theater
6 Nanyang Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区南阳胡同6号
READ: The Opposite House Closes After One Final Party
Images: courtesy of Leon
