Ricky Sim: An Asian Queer Story

Tell us about your show.    Why should we go and see it?
An Asian Queer Story: Coming Out to Dead People is about my relationship with my queer identity as well as my relationship with my mother, who was diagnosed with cancer when I was about to come out to her – talk about great timing! You should come if you enjoy playful, raunchy, yet heartfelt comedy. The show finds humour in death, grief, growing up gaysian, and gently remind folks that it’s not a good idea to think of your ancestors when having gay sex.

What are your hopes and dreams for the Fringe?.
One of my biggest hopes in doing this show is to create space to connect with audience members through our experiences of grief through laughter. What has been motivating me to continue doing the show is when audience members come up and tell me how they felt seen and related to my grief stories.

Furthermore,while doing comedy in the West, I have sometimes heard people say, “Do gay comedians talk about anything else other than coming out?” – Well, firstly, gay comedians will stop talking about coming when straight male comedians stop complaining about their girlfriends/wives on stage. Secondly, not every LGBTQ experience is the same, and certainly the queer experience in the East is different than in America/Europe, especially when there are still many countries that still have the cultural pressure and draconian legal restrictions like sodomy laws that remain from the colonial period.

Either way, simply conquering the Fringe will be endlessly gratifying for me, but it would be great if the show can also continue the conversation about our relationship with grief as well as acknowledge the cultural differences of queer experiences – in addition to letting audience members have a great time at the show! 

What makes you laugh?
Love musical comedy/parody. Aside from comedy, watching funny reels of puppies never fails to make me laugh out loud.

What three words best describe your performance style – and why.
Raunchy, playful, and coy

How will your audience think/feel differently after an hour in your company?
Many audiences told me they were moved, pleasantly surprised, and some even felt seen from my show. Connecting with the audience members through our relationship with grief has been the most rewarding part of doing the show. It gives me motivation to continue to do the show each time.

What kind of shows – apart from your own – are you looking forward to seeing at the Edinburgh Fringe?
I would love to support and check out more queer/female-lead comedy shows. On my list so far -“Did You Eat?” by Seoulful Production, “Walking on Spectrum” by Julianna Heng, “Asian Daddy, Dead” by Moni Zhang, “The Strongest Girl” by Truly Siskind-Weist, “A Terrible Show for Terrible People” by Bonnie He, “Hello Kitty Must Die,” Alexis Gay, “Parallel” by Danielle Deluty/Selma Hindy, “Billy and The Situation” by Jenny Gorelick.

The cost of living is a big issue this year – will it make this Fringe more challenging?
Yes, cost of living definitely makes the Fringe more challenging to do shows at, which is why I have decided to cut the cost down by just performing by myself. LOL. 

What do you predict will emerge as the big themes of this year?
Hopefully – diversity?

Who is your showbiz idol and why?
Margaret Cho, who is the very first stand-up comedian I watched when I was still in the closet and not sure of who I was. Other comedians I really look up to include Hasan Minhaj, Rosebud Baker, and Daniel Sloss.

What is your idea of a perfect Fringe moment?
Walking into a small indie-show without knowing much about it ahead of time, and it pleasantly surprises me at the end.