Keep Kam and laugh on

THE saying that “laughter is the best medicine” is so ripe for those living in today's world, which is shrouded with much uncertainty.

For Malaysians, there is a need to laugh more as collectively, the country copes with emerging from the triple crises of Covid-19, a political overdose and a wobbly economy, made worse by the rising living costs, and the slow-yet-certain decline of the ringgit.

So, it is only natural to seek humour, as one’s recourse in dealing with such travesties.

By the same token, comedy shows have enjoyed a resurgence. Even though some acts have become controversial – becoming an affront to the audiences both in person and, online, such as the content from a certain Singaporean-born comic.

One act emerging later this year is Malaysia's undisputed Queen of Comedy, Joanne Kam (Poh Poh), who will debut in special shows at Kuala Lumpur, Kuching (Sarawak) and Penang from next month and in October.

Entitled ‘Kam My Way 30th Anniversary’, Joanne says the audience need not worry about the excess raunchy material although some will definitely be put out there.

It is a show to celebrate the comedian’s 30th year of making people laugh at themselves and at others.

"And the material will showcase my maturity as an artist," said Joanne in an interview with The Vibes over video conferencing in Penang.

She said that everybody wants to do comedy nowadays. Joanne acknowledged the urge to laugh is greater than ever-owing to the depressive nature of how the world has become.

“There are many venues. Art spaces are becoming comedic zones and we as comedians are moving around, performing in 30-minute skits.”

But for a senior comedian like her, Joanne has much material for which 30 minutes of a dressing down is inadequate.

Speaking in an unusually serious tone, Joanne said that she has been hard at work in producing fresh material, assuring those who come that over 80% would be totally new.

She went to Langkawi to seek inspiration to write her humorous scripts.

"The show will see one main joke from my three eras of when I was in my 20s, 30s and 40s while of course now when I am in my 50s."

The event will be over 60 minutes and Joanne will venture into areas of her life experiences that may not turn out to be totally funny but compelling enough for the crowd to smile.

Joanne will dissect material from when she first made an impromptu appearance at the Boom Boom Club in Singapore where she performed alongside Singapore's Kumar.

"I have three eras to conquer," she said while pointing out in an interview with Francis Yip, a senior media practitioner, that she had used her big size to her advantage in her act.

"I was hoping that with my size, the audience would laugh with me or maybe at me. But now I also have material to reflect my maturity as a comedian, as a woman and a person."

Many people may not realise but Joanne's late father is John Kam, who was one of the pioneering editors of the New Straits Times, the oldest English daily in the country.

She also grew up in Penang and went to Convent Light Street – so she is a “Penang Lang”, to a certain degree.

Joanne was 16 when her father passed away but her stage appearance as a teen steeled her for the life of an entertainer.

She is a disc jockey and an actor – indeed a combination of everything related to entertainment.

Joanne also proved that “weighty issues” is no barrier for a woman to excel.

As for the recent controversies surrounding some comedians, Joanne says that nowadays there is a need to be “culturally sensitive”, to the expectations of the audience.

“Those who insult our audiences are not from within our country, so I guess they do not care if their jokes are unsuitable for the predominantly Asian culture.”

Her advice to the younger comedians is to improvise all the time, find new material and do not just stick to comedy; venture into singing and some acting along the journey.

"Be diverse," she tells the talented younger comedians.

One wonders if Joanne may want to crack "food jokes," as she would after all be entering the realm of Penang known as the food capital of the country, to humour her followers.

But over the past three decades, Joanne will make it a point to tickle you to laughter.

Yip was laughing more than interviewing Joanne to the extent he was invited to be part of the audience to test her new joke material.

Her shows are on September 9 and 10 in Petaling Jaya, September 23 in Kuching and October 13 and 14 in Penang. – The Vibes, August 21, 2023