The days following the first weekend of the festival were a bit lighter. Monday was off for all the artistic teams. Unfortunately, we couldn’t attend the Tuesday performances, which were held in the “Comedy Open Concert” format at Busan Station Square; we were stuck by the rain in a cafe near Gwangalli Beach. However, the next day, the day we visited Gemstone Café, as you may have seen in our previous article, we arrived just in time to catch the last show of the day.
The event took place outdoors at Eurari Square, near Jagalchi Market, offering a stunning view of Yeongdo Island. Five teams performed, with four identical to the previous day’s lineup. Among these five teams, we found three Korean teams and two international ones. As we mentioned earlier, we could only see the last performance of the evening: Family Circus. This Swiss team consists of Henry and Gaby – the Full House duo. For this show, they are accompanied by their children, aged 16 and 18. We had already seen them in action during the opening ceremony, and this day only confirms the idea that this show is truly an international gem and that young artists truly have potential. The city’s intercoms went off during the performance, slightly disturbing our youngest performer, who quickly recovered to improvise on this unexpected interruption, demonstrating his talent. The show must go on after all. The rest of the family, undeterred, continued the show. The audience laughed heartily. Henry spoke in Korean with a strong accent several times. He later confided in us that it’s his trademark, speaking several languages during performances but always poorly to adapt to his audience and evoke empathy for his character and win the audience over. The show ended with applause from the audience, who seemed to really enjoy this circus piece.
After the show, we met the artists from Family Circus and encountered the international artists scheduled for the next day: Nikki Britton and Justin Hamilton. We met the director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival at the same time, who was extremely approachable and friendly. Unfortunately, we couldn’t attend this Australian Stand Up Comedy Show by the two artists at Gorilla Brewing Gwangan, Laughing Mic. It’s an experience we regret missing, and we couldn’t attend the Friday night performances either; we had tickets for another show. We hope to have the opportunity to see them soon.
Nikki Britton
Justin Hamilton
Indeed, Friday night brought a completely different kind of show. After spending the day outside Busan, including a visit to the Ahopsan forest, a landmark for many K-Drama or K-Movie shootings, and the Beomeosa temple, we were expected at the Busan Bank Headquarter Ocean Hall for the Seoul Comedy All Stars.
And then, disaster struck. Now that this dramatic effect has passed, let me explain. The room was packed. It was the first time I saw in Busan, a room completely filled. In itself, it’s a good thing. The seat we were assigned was in the 2nd row, at the end of the row, internally of course, not on the outside… let’s just say, there was no way to hide. When I watch shows, I prefer to be in the middle of the audience rather than completely in front. And what I was starting to anticipate, I should say what I feared most happened.
The Seoul Comedy All Stars here consisted of 5 artists on stage (Danny Cho, Kim Dong-ha, Kim Byeong-seon (Comiko) Son Dong-hoon, Kim Young-gu). This show is a stand-up, which implies a certain reactivity from the audience and a lot of interaction with them. This show is intended for those over 19 (19 being the legal age in Korea), so there are no restrictions on themes. The show covers all aspects of daily life, from politics to sex. Their goal: to show that comedy is sophisticated and sexy. In Seoul, this show is a hit! Their ambition is to present sketches that exceed your imagination!
Now that this context is set, remember, I am right in front. The room is lit, the audience clearly visible to the MC. In this packed room, only 2 foreigners. I am the first target, who he immediately asks if I speak Korean (in Korean of course) – the answer is negative. He then wonders why I came to watch a Korean stand-up comedy show – the room laughs. He then continues to ask where I’m from – France – the audience collectively says “ooooh” and he calmly says to me, “I want to French kiss you” – the room bursts into laughter – he quickly apologizes, specifying that it’s obviously false. Fortunately, he soon targets the 2nd foreigner of the evening and suggests that we should be matched together. Of course, that doesn’t happen. After this confrontation, the show goes on without further verbal jousting in my direction, thankfully. And I can really observe the audience’s reactions, very lively, towards each comedian. We understand this show better than the one from last week, as many sketches have enough gestures to allow us to follow what’s going on. Even without understanding the puns and situations. We let the theater empty out at the end to leave relatively discreetly. And given the number of people who stay in the hall to welcome the artists, it’s probably a good idea to try to keep a low profile.
One last article will follow with the last day at the festival soon.
