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Comedy review: Jennifer Wong: The Sweet and Sour Hour Power, Chinese Museum, MICF 2024

A night of clever puns and interactive fun.
Jennifer Wong. Image is a headshot of a smiling woman of Asian appearance wearing glasses. She has long dark hair and a side parting, plus a pink shirt. Her head is slightly tilted to the right.

Looking for a delightful and introspective evening filled with laughter? Look no further than The Sweet and Sour Hour Power presented by the talented Jennifer Wong of the ABC’s Chopsticks or Fork? Wong’s performance invites the audience on a journey of vitality and joy.

From the moment guests arrive, Wong personally greets them at the door, setting a warm tone for the night. Cementing herself as the queen of puns, Wong wastes no time diving into her act by testing the audience’s pun-comprehension levels. She litters her show with clever wordplay and encourages the crowd to groan loudly at each pun they catch.

Throughout the night, Wong seamlessly transitions her material: from her experience with yoga, tai chi, ballet and spin cycling class, to ultimately land on her favourite exercise: archery. She notes that it’s her top pick because ‘you stand absolutely still and aim low’. 

Read: Comedy Review: Ting Lim: Well… This Is Awkward, Storyville Melbourne, MICF 2024

As a parting gift, Wong invites the audience to participate in an activity combining wordplay and archery lessons. As a final touch, she ensures that everyone leaves with a booklet filled with puns to enjoy at home, adding a lasting touch of humour to the night.

Tickets: $25-$30

Jennifer Wong: The Sweet and Sour Hour Power will be performing at Chinese Museum until 21 April 2024 as part othe Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF 2024).

Dorcas Maphakela is a multidisciplinary creative combining writing, visual arts and holistic well-being advocacy in her practice. She is a South African-born Mopedi woman who relocated to Australia by choice in 2007 and became a citizen in 2012. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Johannesburg and holds a Master of Arts in Writing from Swinburne University of Technology. Dorcas is also a TV presenter, public speaker and founder and producer of the Antenna Award-winning OZ AFRICAN TV (OATV). She is the co-founder of Yo CiTY, a platform that champions the culturally diverse experience through Art & music. Her work was acknowledged with a Media Award from the Victorian Multicultural Commission for “outstanding reporting on issues of importance to diverse communities and reporting which contributes to Victoria’s cross-cultural understanding” (VMC).