Full disclosure, Kuan Wen did pick on me in the crowd, asked me where I was from and argued Taiwan is better than my country because it didn’t suspiciously lose two aeroplanes. So if you’re wondering if this review ought to be taken with a grain of salt, I say, choose the seasoning of your liking. But Kuan Wen is “an equal opportunity bitch”, so really, no one from any inch of the earth is safe.
His set centres around the country and mother he left behind to start a new life. His show aims to put Taiwan on the map, fed up with his home island being forgotten and brushed past. I think it’s safe to say Kuan Wen is Taiwan’s most flamboyant, cheeky cheerleader.
I can only speak from the perspective of not being British, so again, add your seasoning as desired. But it is thoroughly entertaining to hear his hot takes on the oddities of British culture. It is entertainment in itself to watch how well Kuan Wen pulls off taking the piss out of a new culture every two minutes of his show. He treads the line and never seems to fall off. The comic has an incredible database of international relations up his sleeve. It made the digs pack a punch, and even more hilarious when you know (or at least feel like) he knows what he is talking about.
The comic never relented on exposing his own oddities and dispositions. Going from opening up about having a terrifying overbearing mother, to explaining how gay sex orgies are educational, the show is rapid. Kaun Wen can talk really fast and think even faster, but the laughs are never lagging behind. It is a joy to sit back and watch a show that takes care of the audience. You know from the outset that funny is Kuan Wen’s first language, despite the apologies for his accent.
Kuan Wen: Ilha Formosa
17:40 @ Gilded Balloon Teviot – Lounge
Aug 4-14, 16-27
