Assaulted Fish on stage
Mon, November 26 2007
By Angela Lee
When: Wed Dec 5 8.30pm (Doors open at 7.30pm, free snacks)
Who: The Assaulted Fish is Canada’s premier Asian Canadian sketch comedy troupe. Created three years ago for a sketch comedy competition for Asian Heritage Month, the group has worked hard to develop a unique and intelligent brand of comedy that’s earned them kudos from comedy troupes on both sides of the Canada/US border and a loyal fan following.
Don’t let the homogenous look of the group fool you - its members come from six very diverse backgrounds. One member is a lawyer by day. Another is a communications consultant. There’s also a couple of professional theatre and film actors, a former Jehovah’s Witness, and a couple of secretaries.
What holds the group together, says founding member Kuan Foo, is a shared sense of humour.
“We really, really enjoy writing and performing together and enjoy hanging out. None of us are interested in raunchy, potty or obvious humour. We try to write intelligent humour that makes each of us laugh. We’re trying to portray Asian Canadians in a realistic, multi-faceted way. If you dwell too much on stereotypes, whether you’re reinforcing them or rebutting them, you’re still going by other people’s definition of what you are. The secret [to changing social attitudes] is just to get out there and do your thing and be visible.”
Assaulted Fish are (clockwise from top left): Kuan Foo, Yumi Ogawa, Marlene Dong, Diana Bang, Nelson Wong and Darcey Johnson.
