Double the Laughs With This Double Comedy Headliner

This Saturday (May 20) you can get double the comedians for the price of one! Comedians Summer Zhang and Luke Zou are coming together to put on a special double-headliner comedy show.

Titled Yin and Yang, the show will basically feature two comedians doing two contrasting styles of comedy, hence the name. It’s an exciting new concept, and we were intrigued to know more. So, we reached out to Summer and Luke to query about the show and their comedy journeys. 

How long have you both been doing stand-up comedy for?
Summer: I started in the summer of 2021, so it’s almost two years now. 
Luke: I started in 2017. So this year will be my sixth year doing comedy. 

What made you decide to start doing comedy and how did you get started?
S: I have been doing improv for 13 years. During the pandemic, it was very difficult to do rehearsals because there were too many of us [in the improv group]. So I was getting bored, then one night went to a bar to have a drink, and it was an open mic night. They said that if you do five minutes of stand-up you can get a free beer, I was planning to have a beer anyway, so that was the start. 
L: It’s interesting, I know a lot of comedians who have started their careers after going to live shows and then thinking “Oh, what fun! I want to try this.” On the contrary, I never watched live stand-up comedy shows before I started. I was a little bit depressed back then and thought “I should do some comedy for fun”, but I didn’t know any comedians or any clubs here. So, I just searched ‘Stand-up Comedy in Beijing’ online and Comedy Club China’s website came out and I signed up for an open mic. That’s how everything started. 

What was it like doing stand-up for the first time?
S: At the beginning, I didn’t understand what stand-up actually is, I would just improv some topics or tell some stories, sometimes people laughed sometimes not. But I would always get very good feedback from comedians, they’d always say: “Great set! Come back next week!” And now I have known that they say that to everyone. 
L: Horrible. There were only about seven audience members at my first open mic, I think? And I was super nervous and I was stuttering and maybe only two of those seven audience members were listening. I think that’s basically what it looked like for my whole first year. 

What have been your best and worst moments since doing comedy?
S: The worst was my first show in September 2021, I bombed, and there were no big laughs at all. Before that show, I never wrote down jokes, but after I started taking it more seriously and began to write down jokes and prepare better. My best moment was a Christmas show in 2022, I was one of the openers for Joe Wong - he is my idol, it meant a lot to me, and that night people laughed! 
L: I’d say that the worst moment for me is my first two or even three years? I didn’t quite know what I was doing back then. However, the past one or two years have been pretty good for me I think. I feel more and more relaxed on stage now. 

What comedians would you say have influenced you most?
S: I will say Joe Wong, Joe makes me know that stand-up comedy is a long-term journey, it’s not about if you get one laugh at one show, it’s about how you improve and learn.
L: So many! Monty Python, Louis C.K., Woody Allen, Dylan Moran, Demetri Martin, Conan O'Brien and so many more! I can talk about it for a whole week! 

This is your first double headline comedy show, can you tell us a bit more about it?
S: Yes, it is, we’re trying to make a new style of show, it’s really exciting. 
L: Summer told me about this idea earlier this year. She thinks that we have totally contrary comedy styles, which is a very brilliant premise for a comedy show. I was like “Why not. We should try it.” And that’s it! 

Lastly, any words of advice for other budding comedians out there?
S: It’s a long journey, keep trying! Live, show, and learn. 
L: Personally, I LOVE to see fresh faces on stage! I’ve bombed for years (maybe still do). But I just carry on. I don’t think I’m qualified to ‘give advice’ to anyone. All I can say is that don’t be scared of failure, find your own style, and enjoy every single moment on stage! 

The Yin and Yang double headliner comedy show with Summer and Luke will be taking place at Tribute Pub at 7pm, May 20. Early bird tickets are RMB 60 for one, RMB 100 for two, or RMB 80 at the door. You can purchase tickets by scanning the QR code in the poster above.

Tribute Pub
No. 3 Chaoyangongyuan Lu, Lucky Street, Unit C11
朝阳公园路3号 好运街 C11单元

READ: Join Poet Ed Steele’s Second Book Launch This Weekend (May 20)

Images: courtesy of Summer Zhang and Luke Zou