This article was first published in theSun Buzz edition HERE
It has been a while since BUZZ last did an 8-Question interview, so we’ve decided to bring things back with local funnyman Douglas Lim.
The last time we saw him perform was during the last leg of the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians (MACC) Goodbye Tour in November 2019 with fellow comedians Kuah Jenhan, Dr Jason Leong and Phoon Chi Ho.
Lim’s latest comedy production, aptly named I’ve Missed You, which was to take place over the weekend, sadly had to be cut short due to the sudden announcement of MCO 3.0 earlier this week.
In this interview conducted prior to the announcement, Lim updates us on what he has been doing over the past year.
1. First up, you’ve been really active on your Youtube channel during the MCO. Can you tell us a bit about that?
“The MCO 1.0 basically shut down the live entertainment industry. So usually when I think up funny things, they go into a live.
“With no live shows, I figured I might as well so short clips and upload them. I get to indulge in my love of comedy creation/ performance and people get some free entertainment.”
2. Tell us a little bit about your fitness journey ... what motivated you to start and what was the toughest change you had to make?
“First of all, I need to clarify. My fitness journey is really not properly done. I have put zero effort in eating healthy. In fact, the reason I exercise is to try and shed the calories that I constantly put into my body due to greediness. I was a state and junior national athlete during my school days. Once I started working, I stopped exercising and became really unfit.
“Then in 2015, my wife and I decided to go to Machu Pichu for a holiday and friends who had gone before advised us that the trek can be quite demanding. So, we decided to head back into the gym as we wanted to enjoy the holiday.
“Then after the trip, I started running and now I basically run, gym and play some badminton (badly).”
3. Tell us about your show, I’ve Missed You. What inspired you to organise it?
“Harith asked if I would like to do some shows and the last LIVE IN PERSON stand-up show I did was in September last year. That’s a long time. So I told Harith that I’d love to do some shows and he made it happen.”
4. What can we expect during the show? Will we be treated to one of your famous singalongs?
“I have a mixture of some new stuff and some old material. I think it’s quite obvious that we’re going through some strange times now and I have my opinions about them (so does everyone, actually).
“As for the songs, yeah, I’m thinking of doing the 2020 year in review that I performed as Yuni on my social media platforms.”
5. Speaking about your shows, has there ever been a time where someone in the audience made you laugh?
“I’m sure there must have been but I can’t remember a specific occasion. I think this is mainly because I’m a set list comedian and not a banter/playing the room type of comic.
“I usually prepare and practice exactly what I’m going to say and do and then go on stage and perform. So I don’t give audiences a chance to verbally engage with me.”
6. Many of us last saw you during the MACC farewell show. With all that’s happened in the country since, have you considered restarting the project?
“The MACC decided to do a farewell show mainly because our individual schedules were becoming too difficult to synchronise.
“Everyone has got their own projects so we’re taking time to work on our individual pursuits for now. I don’t see an MACC show happening anytime soon. Sorry ah ...”
7. What are your thoughts about the future of the entertainment scene in Malaysia, especially for comedy?
“I think we need to properly handle the pandemic first. The fact is, LIVE IN PERSON entertainment can only be fully enjoyed if there is no threat of death (hahahaha). Doing live entertainment while adhering to SOPs is also quite difficult.”
“Stand up comedy in particular needs a live audience for the laughter. If not, it just becomes talk. Just one person talking and giving opinions. The problem now is, that laughter is quite an effective way to SPREAD the virus.
“So, we need to tackle the pandemic first before anything can be done about the comedy industry, in my opinion.”
8. Who do you think is the next rising star in stand-up comedy?
“I can’t be sure mainly because there have been no consistent live stand-up comedy shows for one and a half years now. But I think Mad Sabah has incredible comedy instinct and an amiable personality which endears him to the audience. I’ve been hearing many good things about Riezman. Also, Hannan Azlan. Her material may not be for everybody but those who like it really do.”
For more of Douglas Lim and to stay updated on his upcoming performances, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube under the handle @thedouglaslim.
