Michael Hing – The Unbearable Whiteness of Being

By Elyce Phillips Michael Hing

It’s been a big year for Michael Hing. He’s been doing some work for the ABC, most notably appearing on the TV show Good Game. He also supported Marc Maron on his recent Australian tour. The Unbearable Whiteness of Being shows just how deserved this attention is. Hing’s stand-up is clever, sharply-observed and uproariously funny.

In The Unbearable Whiteness of Being, Hing talks about his experience as an Australian man with Chinese ancestry. While Australia is less racist than it was 50 years ago, there’s still a lot of weirdness around race – and where there’s discomfort, there’s comedy. Hing’s material on race ranges from the personal to the broader national conversation. A story about an encounter with a man in Wales who was confused by Hing’s appearance was hilarious, and illustrated the truly baffling forms racism can appear in. Another highlight was his take on the media’s reaction to blackface, though it says troubling things about the state of morning television when you can straight-up read a transcript of Sunrise and it gets laughs. His recent successes are also mined for comedy. An account of the ordeal that was his Cleo Bachelor of the Year photoshoot is painfully funny and outright mortifying.

Hing’s delivery is affable, filled with witty asides and the occasional tangent. The show feels fresh and un-rehearsed – a collection of really great funny stories, rather than overly-crafted set-up-then-punchline jokes. Hing is completely at ease on the stage and doesn’t pull any punches with his material. It’s a performance that sits in that sweet spot where he’s confident enough that you feel you’re in safe hands, but is vulnerable enough to be relatable.

The Unbearable Whiteness of Being is smart, honest stand-up from a talented comedian. Get along to see Hing perform before he inevitably gets bigger.

Michael Hing – The Unbearable Whiteness of Being is on at The Greek Centre, Aphrodite Room until April 17.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2016/season/shows/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-being-michael-hing

Michael Hing – Much Ado About Not Hing

By Noel Kelso Michael Hing

There can often be something cocky and arrogant in the performances of some comedians – which is fair enough, it takes a lot of self-belief to just stand on-stage for any amount of time simply because you think you can make them laugh. Then there are those comedians whose performances are more akin to someone bashfully asking someone to dance.

In his show at the Portland Hotel, Much Ado About Not Hing, Michael Hing gives an assured performance tinged with nuggets of insecurity, uncertainty and cringeworthy social awkwardness.

Hing first apologises to the audience for the lack of Shakespeare references in his show as he was unaware that the title was very similar to that of one of the plays. He explains his background and how he has encountered a lot of baffling casual racism from people due to his Asian appearance, but actually being fourth generation Aussie. A story which got the audience chuckling along at the horrible recognition.

His cleverly written routines had the room alternately laughing or groaning from the recognisably awful situations which he describes such as his first attempts at sexting his girlfriend during a meal with his family or the worst date ever, which just so happened to be his first with his current girlfriend and involved him doing a terrible impression of his gay friend just so he wouldn’t be thought of as a sex-pest.

Anxiety is a strong theme for Hing in this show and he wrings it for every drop of humour he can. This informs his routines with a nervous energy and an almost apologetic nature as he worries about what people will think of him and the decisions he makes in order to hopefully curry favour – not all of them being the best decisions.

One of his chief concerns when interacting with women is trying not to appear creepy, which, when you are still quite awkward around women and have a mouth which is constantly trying to sabotage you, is a tall order to fill.

Hing’s performance technique on-stage is fluid and well-practised with good use of callbacks and well-placed asides. His delivery never falters or stumbles, yet neither does it become just a constant stream of words as he allows some of the awfulness of each situation to sink-in with carefully placed pauses or knowing looks from over his spectacles.

Michael Hing – Much Ado About Not Hing is playing at the Portland Hotel at 8:15pm until 19th of April.

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2015/season/shows/much-ado-about-not-hing-michael-hing

Michael Hing : Bildungsroman At 28

By Sofia Monkiewicz

There are many shows in this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival that involve stories and jokes about love: dating, relationships, breakups, flirting, the list goes on. Sydney-based comedian Michael Hing has taken his inclusion of love-related experiences somewhat further in his 2014 show Bildungsroman At 28; he has based its entire premise on love, in particular with one girl from his past.

Hing begins his show by discussing the true definition of love. Is love about helping someone you care about with menial tasks, or is it more about taking incredible risks for that one person you adore most? When he divulges his personal definition of love – that it is an emotion that always ends in heartbreak – we begin to get a clear idea of what the theme of this story is going to be. The word ‘bildungsroman’ is a German word for ‘coming of age’, and Bildungsroman At 28 refers to Hing’s better-late-than-never tale of growing up, falling in love and learning some valuable life lessons.

This likeable, jittery 28-year-old is a fast-talking and feisty storyteller with some sharp one-liners and poignant anecdotes, some of which hit you right in the feelings. He comes across as incredibly sweet and genuine, which helps to capture the interest and empathy of his audience as he builds beautiful moments alongside some conventional light-hearted humour. Every line in this show is well-thought out and contributes to a simple and charming story arc; such as which stands apart from any other show in the festival.

Hing’s 5,000-word description about what he needs in a girlfriend (including 50 movies she is required to have watched, musical interests and national pianist accreditation) is highly amusing and his detailed descriptions of his attempts to seduce his perfect girl induce a mixture of laughter and cringing from the crowd. A terrifying goblin impersonation and his efforts at pretending he is a serial killer are also worth a mention, as well as an entertaining discussion of dating deal-breakers.

Bildungsroman At 28 is not only a comedy show about love; it is also an emotional narrative about love. For a 28-year-old who admits he knows absolutely nothing about this broadly defined emotion, Michael Hing has produced a bittersweet love story that will undoubtedly pull on the heartstrings of every punter that takes a chance on his show, as well as induce many chuckles throughout.

Bildungsroman At 28 is on at the Forum Theatre – Pizza Room until April 20
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2014/season/shows/bildungsroman-at-28-michael-hing

Picture This!

By Colin Flaherty

Live cartoons drawn alongside stand-up comedy is an intriguing concept. Add a lively host in Alexandra Elizabeth Howell, four brave guest comedians, Illustrator Hadley Donaldson, a guest scribbler (in this case Jason Chatfield, who has his own cartoon based show), a willing audience and toasted cheese sandwiches, and you have Picture This!

Lining up to have their words immortalised visually at this particular show were Luke McGregor, Michael Hing, Claire Hooper and Celia Pacquola. Apart from Michael (who is a multiple visitor to the Picture This! stage) they performed sets that I have come to know almost word for word from seeing them often at local rooms. I was dying to see what dimension the drawings would add to their material.

The illustrators used one of two methods to work with the comedian; they either drew a literal representation of the jokes or they would toy with the performer and add their own humour to the images. Both were entertaining in their own way.

The literal method resulted in a detailed picture that grew as the routine went along and, while not always adding laughs to the source material, was a feat to behold. It was amazing how rapidly the illustrator worked as the jokes went through their life cycle. After the punchline was reached, it would have to be sadly erased (I hope copies are saved!) to make way for the next joke.

A loose cannon approach tested the comedian’s improv skills as they were forced off the script. Some performers suggested additions to the drawings to which the cartoonist would oblige with amusing results. For the most part it was an exercise in trying to embarrass the comedian with suggestive doodles (ie. lots of penises).

This is a show of sensory overload. Focusing on the screen runs the risk missing any nuances of the comedian’s performance but the words aren’t really the main focus of this show. If you are familiar with ta particular comic’s material you can see where this set goes visually while keeping an ear open for any instances of a curve ball being dealt with. Many times the comedian was surprised by what had been made of their words but usually they were intrigued by the visual representation of themselves.

It was a fun event and certainly something different from your bog standard stand up show with tight five sets. It left some interesting memory imprints to go along with the jokes.

Picture This! is on at The Tuxedo Cat

http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/picture-this