How do you perform and progress on the comedy circuit, when you as a native English speaker already moved to an Asian country where the population does not speak English as their mother tongue (and there really isn’t much stand up comedy going on)?

Such is the story of Sam Yarb, co-founder of the leading comedy club in Taiwan - Two Three Comedy Club 二三喜劇. Sam started by arranging road trips to cities and towns of all sizes on the East Asian island to target the scattered English-speaking expats. Gradually, along came the Taiwanese people.

As stand up comedy becomes more popular and the Mandarin scene outgrows the English scene, Sam becomes the instrumental figure in bringing international acts to the island and connecting the English performers with neighbouring Asian countries.

We hear from Sam how he manages a comedy club in a foreign land and Sam’s observations on the local Taiwanese v.s. expat audience

The Firelight Chat podcast episode with Sam quoted in this episode:

On Apple Podcast

On Spotify

---------------------------------

Follow Sam on Instagram

Two Three Comedy Club on Facebook

Two Three Comedy Club on Instagram

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram

---------------------------------

If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email comedywithanaccent@gmail.com

---------------------------------

00:44 Intro

02:51 Sam’s accent

05:03 How Sam started performing comedy in Southern Taiwan (a short Northern v.s. Southern Taiwan debate)

06:36 Comedy road trips in Taiwan

08:51 Audience make-ups in small Taiwanese towns and tailoring materials

10:57 A self-deprecating American comic in front of a Taiwanese audience

15:50 Expat v.s. Taiwanese audiences

19:56 Taiwanese approaching stand up comedy shows with curiosity

23:07 Taiwan - China relations as comedy material?

26:12 Expat audience in Taiwan v.s. US audience

26:57 Nationality comparison based comedy materials

28:34 Being a comedy promoter/producer in Asia

30:31 How the small town gigs are organised and promoted

31:31 Writing all funny ideas that come to mind and making selections later

35:03 Sam’s Social Media and 23 Comedy Club in Taipei

--------------------------------

Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe