Ronny Chieng: Can You Do This? No You Can't

The stand-up comedian has a difficult task sometimes… he or she is not able to rely on a narrative, is very rarely allowed to hide behind costume, props or set without seeming tacky and has only one weapon: their wit. It's just the comedian, the spotlight and hundreds of judgmental faces. Enter Ronny Chieng, completely unfazed.

Punters who have been craving sharp, funny stand-up without tacky thematic distractions have been blown away by this new face on the circuit. And Chieng is relaxed and confident with the stand-up genre, knowing he has all the tools to deliver. “I don't really do themed shows,” Chieng says of his new routine, “It's just stand-up comedy that I've developed over the past year.” And what a year it has been. Twelve months ago Chieng fostered an already stellar reputation when he was awarded joint Best Newcomer of the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and has spent the intervening time touring the country with his incisive humour.

His new show Can You Do This? No You Can't is straight stand-up: not heavily themed, just one man giving a “one-hour special” of top-notch humour. He talks a little bit about what it takes to succeed, but the title pretty much sets up the attitude of the character, who is more or less him. As Chieng says, “It's being channelled from somewhere deep inside, but the lines blur. I definitely wouldn't want to be that guy 24/7, but there is a bit of me in there.” Past that, what you can expect is new material in a stand-up format. Those who have seen Chieng in the past (and he's been active in Melbourne for at least the past four years) know what they're in for, and those who have not yet had the chance can look forward to adding a new comedian to their essential 'must see' list. He provides a unique perspective on stand-up – partly from his Malaysian/Chinese heritage and partly from his background in commerce and law. And as for the coming year? Well, as he has recently been tagged as one of the hottest tickets for this year's comedy festival, the world is at the feet of Mr Ronny Chieng. He has a number of television stints that have been recorded and are waiting to be aired, as well as plans for future touring, potentially internationally. While he's keeping the specifics of his future plans close to his chest, one thing is certain about this comedian: you want to catch him now. That way, in a few years you can brag about how long you've been a fan.

WHEN & WHERE: Thursday 28 March to Sunday 21 April, Town Hall, Council Chambers