Lee Ton is a Vietnamese Australian comedian and actor who was born and raised in the Richmond government commission flats on Victoria Street. His comedy blends his experiences as a child of immigrant parents, and his role as a father.
This brand-new show, 'Divorced Asian Dad Jokes', brings us on the journey of a divorced Asian dad navigating through life. It plays as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
“The show is about starting over,” Lee says. “I had a good run at stand-up across 2018-2019, where I felt like I had some great momentum. I got to travel interstate to perform, MC and headline some gigs in Sydney and Adelaide.”
From awkward dating stories to mastering single parent life, this show is a hilarious take on heartbreak, Asian-Australian culture and finding humour among the chaos.
“I did a solo show at Melbourne Fringe in 2019 and even managed to get through to the preliminary final at RAW in 2019 too. In 2020, my life turned upside down with the breakdown of my marriage, and then COVID happened throughout that process to top that off. Comedy, of course, took a backseat with lockdowns, and this show is about what that journey looked like.”
Come along and listen to his stories of being an Asian Australian aspiring actor/comedian, and follow his journey of life after divorce.
Lee's decision to write the show comes back to his love of the craft. After time off it through the pandemic, Lee didn't want to be apart from it any longer.
“I wanted to write this show to jump back into my passion for stand-up, as I felt I couldn’t put comedy in the corner any longer. I’m extremely excited (and frightened) to share my experiences and to show that you can bounce back and find humour in whatever life throws at you.”
Though based in a truly personal topic, Lee says he's looking forward to sharing what he's been through in the context of his stand-up.
“I’m just looking forward to telling my story,” he says. “Talking about divorce and separation can be uncomfortable for some, so it’s an opportunity to talk about, in a light way, something that many unfortunately have to experience.”
Lee Ton plays Grace Darling Hotel (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) 9-21 April.
