Review: 2 Wongs and a White, Fringe 2024

“2 Wongs and a White” was a show title that made me uncomfortable, so I booked and went. 

The first revelation was the venue. I’d never been to Eastside before, perhaps because it’s on George Street, and I liked the interior design. It’s as if a rock bar got confused and put rap stars on the wall. However, it turns out there’s no indie beer.

The second revelation was that there were no clever racial or ethnic insights from the three comedians. I think the title of the show is nothing more than a gag. The white guy goes first. Of course. We’re offered an apology for the show’s name and notes that race riots currently causing damage and distress in England and Northern Ireland.  

However, the two Australian-Asian comedians draw on their heritage, parody, and call out assumptions and tropes.

All three are funny as well. Phew. Perhaps it’s not a great title, but it’s still a funny show. 

It’s a funny show with a Pay What You Can price tag. You can buy a ticket online, with a card reader, or in cash after the show. 

Tone

“2 Wongs and a White” is a three-for-one stand-up show. At no time are all three comedians present in the small room. Instead, they take one-at-time turns to come on and deliver about 15 minutes of jokes.

As noted in my BEST OF review, I like the format because it’s a buffet-like way to sample the best from performers you might not otherwise have seen.

I had seen Jenny Tian’s blowjob joke before, though. Had she stolen it? My memory informs me it was a Reel that the Facebook algorithm found for me on which I first heard the story. Gasp! And now my brain is working, bloomin’ heck, that was a video of Jenny Tian. This unlikely (but true) story makes Tian the first comedian for which I have an algorithm to thank for aiding in my discovery.

It’s a pre-6 pm show, the jokes are only mildly risky – blowjob noises, for example – and in the little nook with Austin Powers-style curved sofa seats, I was sitting with a mum and her young teenage son. It’s not awkward at all. Okay, a little, but cosy.

Nick Schuller hated the venue, describing it as being cat-fished by a physical space when the troupe booked the room from Australia. But I didn’t mind it. I was right in the back, in the corner, but at least I was facing the comedians—and not everyone was!

What to expect

Don’t expect to get a seat, not from what I’ve seen, because if people manspread then the venue will run out of space.

So, get there early and find a comfortable perch that looks back out the sliding pink doors that seal off the karaoke space.

Expect to avoid getting out to the loo or to go for fresh air. Effectively, once the jokes begin, you’re trapped until the Australians take mercy on you.

Ready or not, there’s a schedule to keep and three routines to enjoy.

Nick Schuller

Nick has another gig in the Fringe, and I quite like his deadpan and human-robot delivery. 

His jokes are funny, not cruel and full of expectation switch-a-roos. I like switch-a-roos because they make you think, tapping assumptions you’ve just made like a boop on the nose, and I can steal them.

Nick is comfortable talking to the audience and is not scary to engage with, which is just as well since he’s first up and has all the logistics of setting the room up.

Jenny Tian

There’s no weak spot in the “2 Wongs and a White” line-up; no comedian is carried by the other two, so picking a favourite or a highlight is challenging.

I will, though, and by not much margin, that honour goes to Jenny.

It’s a format we know: a stand-up routine with jokes about being single, sex, family, and expectations. 

As the backbone of many jokes in her 15 minutes, Jenny sounds very Australian, but if you were just to see a picture of her, you’d probably pick a South East or Eastern country for her heritage. And if her routine is true, then she has strong and incredible connections to China’s recent history.

Jenny Tian also has a solo show at the Fringe, which might be worth attending.

Patrick Golamco

Last but not least, Patrick is a charismatic mix of the previous two. His jokes also include some switch-a-roos and tap into his Asian heritage. 

Patrick has the toughest set as until his session, the pink doors to the back room had been left open. Why? So we could breathe! But there are other venues inside Eastside, and by the time Patrick is due to start, another show is also starting, so the pink doors must be closed and lock the audience in with the comedian.

We know the format by now, though, so there’s less work for the audience to do. Patrick also makes jokes about dating, his heritage and expectations but somehow manages to find new twists in the tale and keep the audience engaged.

I was impressed, but unlike the other two, Patrick does not have a solo show here this year.

Overall

An awkward title but an easy joke. In fairness, I was packed into that room in the middle of the day, with a multi-generation audience, so the “2 Wongs and a White” line clearly had managed to lure in plenty of people.

There are no edgelord jokes, no posturing, no one complaining about cancel culture or that they can’t get away with the slur jokes they used to. Phew.

Instead, “2 Wongs and a White” is a three-for-one for which you can pay as little or as much as you want. I think 15 quid, 5 per comedian, is a great price. You could even go higher and still get value for money.