Laughter is the best medicine. So who’s putting a smile on our faces?
Print Edition
“WHEN my dad visited Shanghai and we were walking down the street one night, we saw a van unloading a pile of rental bikes. My father was shocked because in our homeland, the bikes would all be all stolen by morning. Shanghai has a company called ‘Hellobike.’ In South Africa we have a company called ‘goodbye bike.’”
It’s one of Durban stand-up comedian Ian Badenhorst’s favorite jokes, gleaned from his father.
The only full-time foreign stand-up comedian now in Shanghai, Badenhorst performs mostly at Spicy Comedy, a club in Xintiandi. On most nights, the club is crowded with people waiting for shows in three different languages: English, Mandarin and Shanghai dialect.
“I’ve always wanted to make other people laugh,” Badenhorst said. “My parents were always really into comedy. I could just see how happy it made people.”
In his hometown, Badenhorst initially worked as a deejay and event promoter. A friend suggested he go to Taiwan. After three months working in a company there, he was asked if he was interested going to Shanghai. He came and never left.
“It was 2008 and the city was abuzz, what with the Olympics coming to China and Expo coming to Shanghai,” he said. “Compared with Durban, Shanghai was filled with activities seven days a week. It had a vibrant culture and boundless opportunities. And I felt completely safe here.”
Badenhorst explained that working in entertainment in Durban boiled down to three nights: Wednesdays, for students, and Fridays and Saturdays for weekend revelers.
“But in Shanghai, there was no limit,” he said. “I just felt like it was an amazing opportunity to get into the industry.”
But back then, stand-up comedy was niche entertainment in Shanghai, targeting mostly expats and overseas tourists. Badenhorst recalled that he worked for a company that ran various bars and restaurants in the city. He was the entertainment manager for a Mexican bar, organizing comedy acts.
“It was really exciting to see famous television comedians performing for a small audience in a bar in Shanghai,” he said.
To name just a few of the performers: the original British cast of “Whose line is it Anyway,” the Irish Hit TV show “Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlan,” and Paul Zerdin, a British comedian and ventriloquist who performed in Shanghai shortly before he won the 10th season of “America’s Got Talent.”
There came a turning point. Stand-up comedy began to catch on in Shanghai, and local talent began to perform.
“Around 2016, stand-up comedy in Chinese started to emerge,” Badenhorst said. “There were also Shanghainese news comedy shows. The industry changed from being purely an international novelty into something more common everywhere. It’s been amazing to watch.”
That’s when Badenhorst stepped out from behind backstage to stand in the spotlight.
“I had been exposed to a lot of comedians,” he said. “I think a lot of people, when they’re around comedians, try to be funny and make them laugh. And I was making them laugh. So eventually they were urging me to get on stage.”
Since the moment he went before the open mic, he was hooked.
Initially Badenhorst never ran dry of jokes because his Shanghai-born wife inspired his routines.
“She’s a fireball,” he said. “So much energy and fun. There are so many stories arising from our life together, from dating through marriage. Yes, there are always marriage jokes.”
Badenhorst often reflects on his life in Shanghai and how it compares with his old life in South Africa.
“When you live in Shanghai as an expat, there are lots of misunderstandings and strange things you see,” he said. “As a foreigner, the audience wants to hear your perspective because what might be normal for them is different in a foreigner’s eyes.”
He explained, “Take the way children often approach foreigners and want to practice English with them. If you speak to a child too quickly, the child will start crying and stop wanting to practice English with you. Then I have to spend the rest of the day handling the rejection.”
Another example of comic inspiration are public uniforms. “Foreigners can’t really tell if someone’s a policeman or merely a security guard because the uniform has the English explanation or pinyin on the back,” he said with a laugh. “So in the beginning, it can be quite stressful if you don’t really know whom to fear.”
After joining Spicy Comedy last year, Badenhorst began to do his headline shows, with online promotion. He has gained an increasing base of fans, now almost 60 percent Chinese and 40 percent foreign.
But like the proverbial clown who smiles on the outside and cries on the inside, Badenhorst is not always what he appears. Because of some traumatic life experiences, he had been struggling with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder for many years.
Recently he signed up for a study of a newly developed brain treatment at the Shanghai Mental Health Center. The result was satisfactory.
“Shanghai healthcare is much cheaper and more accessible than in other parts of the world,” he said. “Most treatment facilities in Shanghai — not just hospitals — accept foreigners and deal with the language barrier.”
Being committed to his career also helps.
“The decision to follow the one thing you always wanted to do can change a life and allow you to live with purpose and no regrets,” he said. “In that respect, I am so much happier. The biggest reward is watching people have fun and see the smiles you bring to their faces. It’s very fulfilling.”
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