After enjoying critically acclaimed seasons at the Edinburgh, Toronto and Vancouver Fringe Festivals, Kiwi-Filipino comedian James Roque is headed our way in July with his award-nominated solo show, 'Champorado’.
The tour will stop in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. It's a blend of stand-up, storytelling and digital media, exploring life's big questions and told through Roque's experience as part of the Filipino diaspora.
The Melbourne shows will serve as the taping location for his next comedy special.
'Champorado' began as a result of a life-halting message James received from his mum – one which made him re-evaluate his life.
Before James touches down on Australian soil, he chats with us about all things comedy, 'Champorado', balancing the serious with the funny, and connecting with community.
For those who haven’t seen ‘Champorado' yet – what’s the vibe? What can audiences expect walking into this show?
Expect a fun, relaxed vibe. I like to be friends with my audience by the end of the show. But a friend that can challenge you and make you reflect on your worldview. A reviewer once described my stand up as “that friend from university who lectures you while you’re just trying to eat your laksa, and who you, despite all odds, love”. I think that was a compliment? Haha.
You describe this as a deeply personal show – how do you balance those more emotional moments with the comedy?
Just by making sure that I put the “funny” first. The show is personal, yes, but I always try to remember that at the end of the day, this is still a stand-up show and no matter what, the audience has come here to laugh. However to me, the best comedy shows are the ones that have something you can take with you for the rest of your life. No matter how small that thing is, you feel nourished by the show. The show revolves around a health scare that my family went through and which I think is a universally relatable topic. So by making sure I’m honest about my experience and making sure there are always jokes in the show, the balance kind of just finds itself.
The show’s named after a Filipino dish – why was champorado the perfect symbol for the story you’re telling?
Champorado is a chocolate rice pudding that Filipinos eat. . . For breakfast. Plus, without spoiling too much about the show, the topping we put on top of it is truly wild (find out what that is at the show!). And I love it. I think it encapsulates how wonderful, creative and unapologetically weird some aspects of the Filipino culture are.
You’ve done this show around the world – how do you think Aussie crowds will take to it?
From experience, Aussies have always had a really strong sense of humour so I have no doubt they’ll enjoy the show as much as everyone else! Plus, Australians LOVE New Zealanders right?. . . (panics). . . Right?!
You’ve said you're excited to connect with Filipino communities here – what’s that connection been like in other countries?
It’s been so, so cool. It never ceases to amaze me how I can go to a place I’ve never been to before, and immediately connect and relate with a community through our shared culture. Everyone’s like “yo, your mum is obsessed with your weight?! Me too!”. This was especially true around my new home, Canada. I took this show on tour there in some places I never expected to sell tickets at – and it really resonated with them. So I’m expecting the same in Australia.
There’s a bit of everything in ‘Champorado' – stand-up, storytelling, digital media. What made you want to mix it up stylistically?
Every time I make a show I always just ask myself, what would serve this story the best? And follow those instincts. As well as being a stand-up, I’m also a video editor and graphic designer on the side and I thought, I have these skills I might as well put them to use in my shows too. Plus, I have a background in theatre so to me it’s really exciting playing with the form a little bit.
Your Melbourne dates double as your comedy special taping – no pressure! What made you pick Melbourne for that?
My parents live in Melbourne – so I really wanted them there for the recording. So much of the story took place in Melbourne and I wrote a lot of the foundations of the show there. So what better place to lay it down on tape! Plus – Comedy Republic in Melbourne (shoutouts to the Comedy Republic team) is one of my favourite venues to play in the world, so it was a perfect choice.
You’ve had a huge run with this show – Edinburgh, Vancouver, Toronto. . . What has stood out most from the journey of this show?
Just how universal the show is. I love seeing a Filipino auntie in Vancouver laugh at the exact same joke an older white Scottish man from Edinburgh laughed at. It just kind of reminds me how important comedy is at connecting people. Doing comedy on stage worldwide shows you just how human everyone is. It's the opposite of being chronically online.
You’ve been in the game for 15 years. How has your comedy changed from when you first started?
I think I’ve found a better balance between obsessing over what I’ve written, versus being present in the moment and being spontaneous. I’m no longer as rigid with being “word for word” and have found a bit of freedom with being on stage. Also, I’ve had to learn new skills in order to stay active in the industry. Back when I first started, I feel like there was more focus on just writing your jokes and telling them on stage. And getting better that way. Now, for better or worse, you have to hone your comedy skills and at the same time learn how to be a full-time social media content creator, marketer and producer. Social media has been a real double-edged sword – on one hand there’s never been less of a barrier for people to 'make it' in the industry, but at the same time, it means you have to work harder than everyone to stand out in an infinite sea of crowd work clips online.
Between your stand-up, your online content, and your TV gigs – what’s lighting you up the most right now?
I’ll always love stand-up the most out of everything I do. Every else I do is to feed my stand-up and my ability to keep doing it. There’s nothing like making a connection with a live audience – the buzz you get coming off stage after a fun show is unmatched. Can’t wait to get amongst that feeling in Australia!
James Roque Australia 2025 Tour Dates
3 July – Rhino Room (Adelaide)4-5 July – Good Chat Comedy Club (Brisbane)
9-10 July – Comedy Republic (Melbourne)
11-12 July – The Comedy Store (Sydney)
